CHITRAL: A 15-day Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign is starting on Nov 11 to protect young girls against cervical cancer.
The vaccination campaign against cervical cancer will run from November 11 to November 25, targeting 22,000 girls aged between 9 and 15 years across the district.
Addressing a media briefing at the Chitral Press Club, Deputy District Health Officer Dr Irshad Ahmad and District EPI Coordinator Dr Farman Nizar Khan said that 26 special vaccination teams had been constituted to ensure the successful implementation of the campaign.
The teams will visit government and private schools as well as religious seminaries across Lower Chitral. According to the officials, approximately 95 per cent of girls in the target age group are enrolled in educational institutions.
To ensure that no eligible girl is missed, the Health Department will also conduct a door-to-door vaccination campaign for girls who are not attending schools or seminaries or who may remain unvaccinated during institutional visits.
The health officials said the HPV vaccine had officially been incorporated into Pakistan’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) as its 14th vaccine-preventable disease intervention.
They explained that the current campaign particularly targets girls aged 9 to 15 who have not previously received the HPV vaccine. The vaccination is intended to protect them against HPV infections that can cause cervical cancer later in life.
Highlighting the importance of the campaign, the doctors said cervical cancer remains a major public health concern among women worldwide. They stressed that HPV vaccination is an important preventive measure that can significantly reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer.
The officials also addressed concerns and misinformation circulating on social media regarding the safety and religious permissibility of the vaccine.
They said the vaccine had been adopted by several Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, and urged parents not to be influenced by unverified claims or negative propaganda.
They added that religious scholars and Islamic scholars in Pakistan and other Muslim countries had supported the vaccine on the basis of its medical benefits and permissibility.
The health officials appealed to parents, teachers, religious leaders and community representatives to cooperate with vaccination teams and ensure that all eligible girls receive the vaccine during the campaign.
They further highlighted the financial importance of the free vaccination drive, claiming that a single dose of the vaccine could cost up to Rs42,000 in the open market, while the government was providing it free of charge during the campaign.
The officials urged parents not to miss the opportunity, stressing that the free vaccination campaign would conclude on November 25 and encouraging families to get their daughters vaccinated within the announced schedule.
The campaign is part of Pakistan’s broader efforts to strengthen preventive healthcare and protect future generations of girls and women against cervical cancer.
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