Pakistan’s first nationwide HPV vaccination campaign, launched in September 2025, aimed to immunize over 13 million girls aged 9 to 14 against the virus that causes cervical cancer, which kills eight women daily in the country. Supported by WHO, UNICEF, and GAVI, the free single-dose Cecolin vaccine has reached nearly 9.2 million girls so far.
Why has Pakistan’s HPV vaccine campaign faced a backlash? https://t.co/vgQ5U9OTLg pic.twitter.com/ieUVCZEmx5
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) October 23, 2025
However, the campaign has faced backlash fueled by misinformation and cultural taboos. False claims linking the vaccine to infertility and moral objections to its association with sexual transmission spread rapidly online.
Vaccine hesitancy, rooted in long-standing distrust since the CIA’s fake vaccination scheme in 2011, further worsened resistance.
To counter rumors, Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal publicly vaccinated his daughter, boosting acceptance. Authorities plan to extend the program nationwide by 2027, calling it a vital step toward eliminating cervical cancer in Pakistan by 2030.
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