On 27 January 2026, a social media post published by DMK mouthpiece Sun News claimed that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was launching the first-ever cervical cancer vaccination programme for young women in India in Chennai.
But this claim is incorrect and Sun News, claiming to be a news portal, is spreading fake news.
According to official records and previous government announcements, multiple Indian states had introduced cervical cancer vaccination programmes several years prior to Tamil Nadu’s initiative.
Punjab launched the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme in 2016, with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO). The programme was formally rolled out in the districts of Bathinda and Mansa, and Punjab became the first state in the country to include HPV vaccination in its immunisation programme.
Sikkim followed with a statewide HPV vaccination drive between 2018 and 2019, which has since been cited as a best-practice model for multiple-age cohort vaccination in India.
Bihar introduced a cervical cancer vaccination programme in 2024, while Maharashtra launched a similar public health initiative in December 2025.
Sun News post did not reference these earlier programmes while describing the Tamil Nadu initiative as the first of its kind in the country. The omission rendered the claim misleading and false.
சன் நியூஸ் பரப்பும் போலி செய்தி
இந்தியாவிலேயே முதல் முறையாக இளம் பெண்களுக்கு கருப்பை வாய் புற்றுநோய் தடுப்பூசி செலுத்தும் திட்டத்தை சென்னையில் இன்று தொடங்கி வைக்கிறார் முதலமைச்சர் என @sunnewstamil ஊடகமானது செய்தி வெளியிட்டிருந்தது.
இதன் உண்மைத்தன்மையை நமது Facts & Perspectives… https://t.co/mIzpthEpXT pic.twitter.com/ktMxvqXb1K
— Facts & Perspectives (@FactCheck_TN) January 27, 2026
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