The Federal Ministry of Health has announced a national vaccination campaign to protect women from cervical cancer, during which girls aged 9 to 14 will be given free vaccines.
According to the Ministry of Health, the national vaccination campaign for cervical cancer prevention will be held in Punjab, Sindh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad from September 15 to September 27.
During the campaign, girls aged 9 to 14 will receive the HPV vaccine free of cost.
According to the statement, a target has been set to vaccinate 146,000 girls in various schools of Islamabad. Additionally, vaccines will be provided in schools, madrassas, designated vaccination centers, and health facilities. During this 12 day campaign, vaccines will be available from Monday to Saturday between 9 AM and 4 PM.
District Health Officer Rashida Batool said that cervical cancer is a silent disease among women, which becomes life threatening due to late diagnosis. In the first phase, the campaign will begin in Sindh, Islamabad, Punjab, and Azad Kashmir.
She further stated that in the second phase, the campaign will start in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other districts, while in the third phase, HPV vaccines will be administered in Gilgit Baltistan.
