Telangana is ready to launch a statewide HPV vaccination program to protect adolescent girls from cervical cancer. The State has completed all preparations, such as training medical staff and stocking vaccines, and now waits for official Union Government approval. The rollout is expected by late February. Telangana has bought 4.6 lakh doses of the quadrivalent Gardasil 4 vaccine. This vaccine shields against four common cancer-causing HPV strains. It will be given free to girls aged 14 and 15 at Primary Health Centres and other public health clinics across the state. Health officials said this bulk purchase is part of the State's plan to reduce rising cervical cancer cases. Normally, the vaccine costs between ₹2,000 and ₹4,000 per dose in private clinics. To manage the program, around 1,200 to 1,500 Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) have been trained to give the vaccine and run immunization sessions. Cervical cancer cases and deaths have been steadily increasing in Telangana. According to data from Minister Anupriya Patel shared in Lok Sabha on February 13, 2026, cases rose from 3,169 in 2021 to 3,233 in 2025. Deaths went up from 1,711 in 2021 to 1,746 in 2025. A senior health official said, "The HPV vaccination programme is expected to play a key role in reducing future incidence of cervical cancer by preventing infection at an early age, particularly among adolescent girls."