The HPV vaccine, which was first launched in Pakistan in 2022, has been distributed widely now. This is the beginning of a routine immunisation programme to protect adolescent girls against cervical cancer.
However, vaccines remain taboo in Pakistan where it remains a major public health challenge, stemming from a mix of misinformation, safety concerns, and mistrust of authorities. A team of female health workers was attacked on Saturday while administering vaccines against the human coronavirus (HPV) in Punjab’s Mandi Bahauddin district, the second such incident in three days.
