ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The countrywide HPV vaccination drive faced widespread resistance, with over 3.6 million parents reportedly declining to have their daughters vaccinated, local media said quoting sources.
According to available documents, 3,641,132 refusals were recorded across the nation during the anti-cervical cancer drive.
Punjab accounted for the highest number, with 2,561,346 parents declining to have their daughters vaccinated.
In Sindh, the figure stood at 854,150 refusals, while Azad Kashmir recorded 156,868 cases of refusal. In Islamabad, 68,768 parents refused the HPV vaccination.
Despite this resistance, the campaign managed to vaccinate more than 7.7 million girls against HPV. The original target was to administer the vaccine to 11,729,787 girls nationwide.
The anti-HPV campaign, aimed at preventing cervical cancer, was carried out between 15 and 27 September.
Historic nationwide vaccination campaign
The historic nationwide HPV vaccination campaign — the first of its kind in the country — was initially launched from September 15 to 27, aiming to vaccinate more than 11.7 million girls.
