MANDI BAHAUDDIN: A female health team administering the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was attacked in Punjab’s Mandi Bahauddin district on Saturday, the second such incident in just three days, deepening fears among frontline health workers.
The HPV vaccine, introduced nationally last year as part of Pakistan’s routine immunisation programme, is aimed at protecting adolescent girls from cervical cancer. While public health experts have hailed the campaign as a landmark initiative, vaccine hesitancy, fuelled by misinformation and mistrust, continues to spark resistance.
In the latest incident, the vaccination team was working inside a non-formal education school in Ratuwal village when a 55-year-old resident stormed in and attempted to attack a female supervisor.
According to Kathian Sheikhan police, the man tried to hit her with a stick, threatened dire consequences, and used abusive language, forcing the campaign to be halted amid panic.
Health Supervisor Shamim Anjum, speaking to reporters, said her team had to flee to protect their lives. “We filed a written complaint with the police, and while an FIR has been registered, the promised security arrangements after the first attack have not been implemented,” she said.
Police have confirmed a case has been lodged under sections related to obstruction of public duties and criminal intimidation, and say the suspect will be arrested soon.
The incident comes just two days after another HPV vaccination team was assaulted in Chak No. 38 of the same district, where a female worker was physically attacked. Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazeer had directed police to ensure protection for health staff after that case, but workers on the ground say no practical steps have followed.
The repeated violence is threatening the momentum of the vaccination drive. Health staff insist they cannot continue without visible police support, raising concerns that Pakistan could miss critical targets.
The HPV campaign is being rolled out in phases, with the first stage, covering Punjab, Sindh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad, launched this month. Authorities aim to vaccinate 90 per cent of girls aged 9 to 14 in these areas by 2025 before expanding the effort to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2026 and to Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan in 2027.
Public health experts warn that sustaining the campaign requires not only vaccines and logistics but also the protection of those tasked with delivering them.
