ISLAMABAD – Punjab’s Health Department announced that the cervical cancer prevention vaccine will only be administered to girls with prior parental consent.
The directive explicitly states that under no circumstances should the vaccine be given without permission from parents. The notification also instructs school administrations across the province to ensure that parental consent is obtained before any vaccinations are carried out.
To implement this, the Health Department has issued a circular to all CEOs of Education in every district.
This move comes as part of ongoing efforts to promote cervical cancer prevention while respecting parental rights in the vaccination process.
Pakistan has started historic HPV vaccination drive from 15 to 27 September, targeting 13 million girls aged 9 to 14. Cervical cancer remains third most common cancer among Pakistani women, with over 5,000 new cases and nearly 3,200 deaths annually, largely due to late diagnoses and limited screening.
The initiative aligns with the World Health Assembly’s Global Strategy to eliminate cervical cancer, which seeks 90% vaccination coverage among girls by age 15, 70% of women screened, and 90% of diagnosed women treated by 2030.
