HPV Vaccine Rollout Sparks Misinformation Surge in India

• India's national HPV vaccine drive for adolescent girls, aimed at preventing cervical cancer, faces a surge of online misinformation.
• False claims circulating online suggest HPV vaccines cause infertility, lack safety data, or led to deaths in trials.
• Health experts, including Dr Ravi Mehrotra, debunk these claims, stating they are emotionally charged and lack scientific proof.
• WHO and extensive studies confirm no credible link between HPV vaccination and infertility or Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI).
• The government's free Gardasil-4 vaccine program, launched Feb 28, targets 1.15 crore 14-year-old girls to combat cervical cancer, which causes 80,000 deaths annually in India.