Cervical cancer vaccine

Pakistan has always had a turbulent history with vaccines. That history is once again catching up with the state. Sindh's decision to include the Human Papillomavirus vaccine in the Expanded Programme on Immunisation is medically and administratively necessary. But it enters a public space shaped less by science and more by suspicion.

Cervical cancer is preventable. That is not in dispute. What is in doubt is whether the state has learned anything from its repeated failures to carry the public along in vaccination efforts. The inclusion of this vaccine in routine immunisation should have been uncontroversial. Instead, it arrives burdened by the legacy of a recent campaign that faltered amid suspicion and misinformation. That experience should serve as a warning. The earlier drive, aimed at girls between nine and fifteen, ran into resistance despite official assurances and a visible media campaign. AI-generated videos and false claims spread faster than factual corrections. As a result, many parents refused the vaccination.

By formally embedding the HPV vaccine within the EPI, the Sindh government has taken the right administrative step. Routine programmes tend to carry greater legitimacy than one-off campaigns. Free availability at designated centres lowers access barriers. Dedicated funding over three years provides continuity. These decisions reflect the seriousness of intent. Yet administrative inclusion does not erase social hesitation.

Vaccination in Pakistan remains vulnerable to rumour, and trust cannot be outsourced to advertisements or circulars. It has to be earned through sustained engagement at the community level.

The state's challenge is therefore not medical but political in the broadest sense. Parents must believe that the programme is safe, monitored and in their children's best interest. Misinformation must be tackled, and trust must be rebuilt locally from the ground up.