HPV Vaccination in Mumbai: What Every Parent Should Know

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common group of viruses. Most people meet it at some point in adult life, usually without knowing, and the body clears most infections on its own within a year or two.

The concern is the small share of infections that persist. A few high-risk HPV types can slowly change cells in the cervix, and according to the World Health Organization it usually takes 15 to 20 years for those abnormal cells to turn into cancer in a woman with a normal immune system. The same virus is linked to cancers of the vulva, vagina, anus, penis and throat. Other, low-risk types cause genital warts.

The vaccine trains the immune system to block the HPV types it covers before they can settle in. It is preventive only. It cannot clear an infection that is already there or treat abnormal cells, which is why giving it early matters so much.

Depending on the HPV types they cover, HPV vaccines protect against cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers in females, anal cancer, certain head and neck cancers such as cancers of the throat and the back of the mouth, and genital warts in both males and females.

The ideal window is 9 to 14 years. At this age the immune response is strongest, fewer doses are needed, and protection is in place long before any possible exposure.

Parents sometimes worry that vaccinating early sends a message about sex. It does not. Babies get the hepatitis B vaccine long before they could ever catch hepatitis B, and the HPV vaccine follows the same logic. You do not need to have a conversation about sex to give it. “This vaccine protects you from a cancer later in life” is an honest and complete explanation for a ten-year-old.

If your child is already 15 or older, it is not too late. Teenagers and young adults still benefit, though they usually need three doses. Catch-up vaccination is recommended up to age 26 for anyone who missed it earlier. Between 27 and 45 it can still be considered after discussion with a doctor, though the expected benefit is generally lower, as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also advises. Above 45, HPV vaccines are generally not licensed or routinely recommended. The Adolescent Health Academy of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) recommends catch-up vaccination, planned around age, health history and the vaccine used.

“Parents often tell me their daughter is too young for this vaccine. That is exactly why now is the right time. It works best years before it could ever be needed. When I explain it to a twelve-year-old, I say it helps prevent a cancer later in life, and that is usually all she needs to hear.”
- Dr. Pallavi Kulkarni, MBBS, DGO, DNB (OB-GYN), DFP, MRCOG (UK), Fellowship in IVF

Yes, for girls aged 14. India launched its national HPV vaccination programme on 28 February 2026, and eligible girls receive a single dose of Gardasil 4 free of cost at government health facilities. It is voluntary, and a parent’s consent is required. After the initial three-month campaign, the vaccine continues to be offered on routine immunisation days.

The programme is for girls who have completed 14 years of age but not yet 15, as Maharashtra’s campaign defines it. During the launch campaign, girls who turned 15 within 90 days were also included. Girls who have already had any HPV vaccine are not eligible, and the programme guidance also excludes pregnancy, a known allergy to yeast or an earlier allergic reaction to a vaccine.

To get it, you can register on the U-WIN portal, ask a health worker to register your daughter, or walk in for registration on the spot, as the government backgrounder describes. The vaccination certificate can be downloaded from U-WIN afterwards. Session days and timings vary by centre, so call ahead before you travel.

In Mumbai, the BMC’s drive was planned to begin with students in BMC-run schools, followed by private and government-aided schools, with the vaccine also offered at the city’s civic health centres, maternity homes, general hospitals and medical colleges. Now that the three-month campaign is over, ask your daughter’s school or the nearest civic health centre when the next session is.

For any child outside the programme, including boys, girls younger than 14 and teenagers older than the programme age, vaccination is available privately. A private clinic should tell you the full cost of the course before the first dose.

Which is better: Gardasil 4, Cervavac or Gardasil 9? All three protect against HPV 16 and 18, the types behind most cervical cancers. Gardasil 4 and Cervavac cover four HPV types; Gardasil 9 covers nine, so its protection is broader, but it costs more. For most children any of the three is a sound choice, and the right one depends on age, sex, earlier doses and budget.

All three are approved by India’s national drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

HPV vaccines used in India

Types 16 and 18 cause the large majority of cervical cancers, and types 6 and 11 cause most genital warts. Gardasil 9 adds five more cancer-causing types, so it gives broader cover at a higher price.

A quadrivalent vaccine is still a sound choice. It is the vaccine the national programme uses. The right option depends on your child’s age, sex, health history, any earlier doses and your budget.

These are approximate prices and they change from time to time. Before you book, confirm:

• the current price per dose and the total number of doses
• any consultation charge
• whether the same brand will be in stock for the later doses

Tell the doctor before the injection if your child:

• had a severe allergic reaction to an earlier HPV dose or any vaccine, or is allergic to yeast
• is moderately or severely unwell on the day (a mild cold is usually fine, but let the doctor decide)
• has a condition, or takes medicines, that weaken immunity, as three doses may be needed
• is an older teenager or young woman who could be pregnant, as the vaccine is postponed during pregnancy

If a dose was given before a pregnancy was known, there is no cause for alarm. The World Health Organization notes that no specific safety concerns for pregnancy have been found in trials, and the remaining dose is simply delayed until after the pregnancy. Speak to your doctor about when to complete the course.

1. Carry your child’s vaccination card and the record of any earlier HPV dose.
2. Note down allergies, regular medicines and any long-term health conditions.
3. Make sure your child has eaten and had water beforehand.
4. Ask whether any other vaccine is due. The HPV vaccine can be given on the same day as other vaccines, in a different arm.
5. Keep the explanation simple and positive: this is a vaccine that prevents a cancer later in life.
6. For a two-dose or three-dose course, save the next date in your phone and on the card.

You do not need to memorise HPV types or dose intervals. You only need to start the conversation around age 9 and complete the course your doctor advises.

Dr. Pallavi Kulkarni offers HPV vaccination and counselling for children, girls and boys alike, and for adults up to 45, at Aarogya Women’s Clinic in Thakur Village, Kandivali East. All three vaccines available in India are offered, so you can choose the one that suits your family. A short consultation confirms eligibility, checks any earlier doses and sets a clear schedule. For many girls it is also a comfortable first visit to a gynaecologist, with no examination involved. Our adolescent gynaecology clinic page covers the other reasons teenagers see us, from painful periods to puberty counselling.

Families come to us from Thakur Village, Thakur Complex, Lokhandwala Township and Ashok Nagar in Kandivali East, and from Kandivali West, Borivali, Malad and Goregaon. If you are looking for a gynaecologist in Kandivali East for your daughter’s vaccination, you are welcome to call or message us.

Address: Aarogya Women’s Clinic, Shop no. 48, EMP-53, Evershine Halley, Thakur Village, Kandivali East, Mumbai 400101, next to Achija Restaurant.