Supreme Court refuses to entertain PIL raising concerns over HPV vaccination campaign

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a PIL raising concerns over the government-run nationwide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign for adolescent girls to prevent cervical cancer.

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said whenever there is a case of incorrect vaccination, ordinary rules of compensation will apply.

"Would you like to withdraw? Do you want us to comment something?" the bench observed.


"Don't ask us to make harsh observations. If petitioner members are doctors, it's a very very serious issue. It's a question of health of millions of our daughters. And you want to derail this," it said.

The top court orally said that the PIL was filed with an ulterior motive and lacked bonafide.

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The lawyer appearing for the petitioner said that he was only pressing on adverse events and compensation, nothing on HPV.

"I am not at all anti-vaccine. My first contention is the way it is being implemented. Second, there is no adverse event mechanism. Whenever there is an adverse event, it must be monitored. There should also be a compensation scheme," the lawyer said.

When the apex court refused to entertain the plea, the counsel withdrew the plea and the matter was dismissed as withdrawn.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by the Universal Health Organisation challenging the manner in which the government-backed HPV vaccination programme is being implemented.

The plea alleged that it violates constitutional guarantees of informed consent, bodily autonomy, transparency and accountability.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the nationwide HPV vaccination campaign for 14-year-old girls from Ajmer in Rajasthan on February 28.

A single-dose Gardasil 4 vaccine, a quadrivalent HPV vaccine, is being used under the campaign. The injection provides protection against HPV types 16 and 18, which are responsible for cervical cancer, as well as types 6 and 11.