ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government has decided to extend the national cervical cancer prevention campaign after several provinces reported falling short of HPV vaccination targets, ARY News reported.
Punjab, Sindh, Azad Kashmir, and Islamabad are set to prolong their campaigns. Sindh has already extended its drive by three days, moving the deadline to September 30, with formal notification to the federal government expected soon. Islamabad is considering a three- to seven-day extension, while Punjab and Azad Kashmir are likely to follow a similar approach.
Launched on September 15, the historic nationwide HPV vaccination campaign is Pakistan’s first of its kind, targeting over 11.7 million girls aged 9 to 14 with a single-dose vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. The campaign was originally scheduled to run until September 27.
Sources reported that over three million parents have refused the vaccine in the first nine days, with the highest refusal rates in Punjab (2,195,793 cases), followed by Sindh (659,997), Azad Kashmir (127,229), and Islamabad (58,456).
The federal government’s decision to extend the campaign reflects provincial appeals and the urgent need to reach immunization targets crucial for protecting women against cervical cancer. The national goal is to vaccinate 11,729,787 girls during the drive.