Rawalpindi:
A health department campaign for the administration of cervical cancer prevention vaccines for girls aged nine to 14 years in all governments and private schools across rawalpindi has encountered significant obstacles.
All Pakistan Private Schools and Colleges Association has blocked the inoculation of students in private institutions.
The association’s president, Malik Naseem, said that parents of all students in private schools have categorically denied getting their daughters vaccinated. “We cannot forcibly manage the vaccine to any students in a private school,” he emphasized.
Health Authority -Teams reported that the staff in several private schools were sent away from offices with instructions indicating “no injection was needed.” In government schools, teachers allegedly refused to allow their own daughters to receive the vaccine.
Parents of students in both public and private schools have explicitly instructed class teachers not to manage the injection under any circumstances and warn that strict action would follow if their directives were ignored. They also indicated that in the event of a side effect, fours would be filed against school leaders and class teachers.
Consent forms sent home by school administrations were returned by parents marked with “Big No” that effectively brought the campaign to stop. Reports have also emerged from attempts to force the vaccine by force in some government schools.
Punjab Teachers’ Union and Educators’ Teachers’ Association clarified that the issue lies between the parents and the health department, and the teacher organizations do not intervene.
Meanwhile, District Health Authority claims that the campaign continues successfully and expressed confidence to achieve its goal.
