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Informist, Wednesday, Jul. 29, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – The Delhi High Court Wednesday refused to stay the administration of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, an injection that prevents cancers caused by Human Papillomavirus, including cervical, vaginal, vulvar, anal, penile, and throat cancers, as well as genital warts. The government runs a free, nationwide Human Papillomavirus vaccination campaign targeting adolescent girls. India's national programme uses Gardasil-4 vaccine at designated government health facilities, including primary health centres and government medical colleges.   

 

The high court noted that over 5.5 million Human Papillomavirus Vaccine have been administered and only 120 of them showed minor signs of nausea or headache. "The justification for introducing the vaccine is something we will consider, but so far as your (petitioner's) prayer for stopping administration of the vaccine is concerned, we are not going to stay that," said the court. "We have been given data that suggest that there is no harm. There may not be long-term benefit, but there is no immediate harm," said the court.

 

The bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said that every vaccine has some side effects and an opinion on whether it is to be administered or not has to be formed by experts. "We see no reason why the administration of the vaccine should be stopped," said the bench. The court asked the Centre, Indian Council of Medical Research, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group to file their replies to a petition filed by gynaecologist Sujata Mittal and others, challenging the government's nationwide rollout of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine without adequate study. 

 

The petitioners have raised questions over the data, efficacy and the requirement of the vaccine used by the government. Vaccination is being carried out in schools, and frontline health workers are given targets to increase enrolment, which in many cases leads to undue pressure on young girls, said the petitioners. The nationwide rollout of the vaccine without conclusive studies and informed consent violates constitutional rights to bodily autonomy and personal liberty, said the petitioners.

 

Wednesday, the government said that over 550 million vaccinations have happened worldwide, nearly 160 countries out of 190 have already used this, and in Australia it is a complete sweep, where Human Papillomavirus is on the verge of extinction. This is a preventable cervical cancer, so this vaccination has world over beneiffited 550 million people, said the government.  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

 

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