Minister seeks to bust myths about HPV vaccine

Sindh Health and Population Welfare Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho has condemned a social media campaign spreading disinformation about the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, stressing that it prevents cervical cancer and is not a contraceptive.

Speaking at the launch of a two-day vaccination camp at the Karachi Press Club, aimed at immunising daughters of press club members, she said 57 percent of Sindh's 4.1 million girls aged between 9 and 14 have already been vaccinated. "This is about saving lives, not politics," she remarked, adding that evidence against those fuelling propaganda had been submitted to the cybercrime wing.

Dr Pechuho noted that cervical cancer kills over 3,000 women in Pakistan annually. "Symptoms remain hidden until the disease has spread. At that stage, only surgery or radiation can help - often with limited success," she said.

Senior gynaecologist Dr Nighat Shah endorsed the campaign, recalling that she had her own daughter vaccinated years ago when three doses were required. Pediatrician Dr Khalid Shafiq added that international studies now show a single dose is effective. "These millions of girls are our daughters too. If the vaccine caused infertility, would we give it to our own children?" he asked.