HPV vaccination drive to begin from Sept 15

Islamabad: Vaccination against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) — the leading cause of cervical cancer in women — will commence from September 15 to 27 in Islamabad, along with Punjab, Sindh and Azad Jammu & Kashmir in the first phase, during which an estimated 146,000 girls in the federal capital are targeted for vaccination.

“This is a single-dose vaccine that provides lifetime protection and can prevent our daughters from ever developing cervical cancer,” District Health Officer Islamabad Dr. Syeda Rashida Batool told reporters during a news briefing at her office on Monday.

She added that HPV vaccine would also become part of Pakistan’s routine immunization programme. Dr. Rashida said that while the target for Islamabad was 146,000 girls, so far the health department had obtained complete data of 115,000 girls from schools and community sources.

“We are determined to reach every eligible girl. In the second phase, boys will also be vaccinated against HPV to break the chain of transmission,” she noted.Educational material shared during the event.