Delhi Schools Push to Win Parents' Trust on HPV Vaccine

On Monday, 17 August 2026, Priya Sharma sat in the auditorium of her daughter’s school in central Delhi, watching a nurse demonstrate the administration of the HPV vaccine. “It felt like a tiny pinprick,” she later told reporters, describing her own experience with the shot. Her daughter, a 12-year-old student at the school, was among hundreds of children eligible for the vaccine as part of a renewed push by Delhi’s education and health departments to combat hesitancy among parents (Indian Express).

Schools across the capital have launched a coordinated campaign to address persistent skepticism about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which protects against infections that can lead to cervical cancer. Principals, health workers, and local officials are conducting workshops, distributing bilingual informational pamphlets, and hosting question-and-answer sessions to clarify misconceptions. At a session in East Delhi, a school nurse emphasized that the vaccine is “most effective when administered before any exposure to the virus,” while a parent-teacher association leader urged attendees to “separate myth from medical fact” (Indian Express).

The initiative follows years of sluggish uptake in Delhi’s government-run schools, where rumors about side effects and concerns about the vaccine’s perceived link to sexual behavior have deterred some families. Health officials note that India accounts for nearly a quarter of global cervical cancer deaths, with limited screening access exacerbating the toll. The HPV vaccine, introduced in Delhi’s immunization schedule in 2018, remains underutilized despite being free of cost and backed by decades of global safety data (Indian Express).

Schools are leveraging trusted community figures to bridge gaps in understanding. In one instance, a local gynecologist addressed a town hall, explaining that the vaccine prevents seven in ten cervical cancer cases. “This isn’t about encouraging anything—it’s about giving children a chance to avoid a preventable disease,” she said (Indian Express). Meanwhile, teachers are distributing flyers with infographics debunking myths, such as the false claim that the vaccine causes infertility.

The campaign’s success remains uncertain. While some parents, like Sharma, have expressed gratitude for the clarity, others remain hesitant. A father from West Delhi, who declined to be named, said he would “wait a few more years” to see long-term effects, despite assurances from health authorities. School administrators acknowledge that building trust is a “slow process,” requiring sustained dialogue rather than one-time events (Indian Express).

As of Monday, officials have not released updated vaccination rates, but they plan to monitor enrollment over the next academic term. For now, the focus remains on addressing individual concerns—one conversation at a time.