Ministry for blocking social media accounts propagating against anti-cancer vaccine   

The Ministry of Health has swung into action to block the social media accounts, which are being used to unleash propaganda against the HPV vaccine being administered to girls across the country to protect them from the cervical cancer, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday. 

Sources told the 24News TV channel that in this connection, the ministry, in a letter to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), had said that for the first time in the country’s history, a national campaign had been launched against cervical cancer.

It further said, sources informed, that identifying such people, who were involved in spreading false information about the campaign on social media, is possible. 

“The propaganda launched against the drive is damaging the efforts to sensitize the public about the effectiveness of the vaccine in battling against the life-taking disease,” the ministry said, and added, “Hence, these people by unleashing propaganda against the vaccine are putting the lives of girls at risk.”

Sources elaborated that the ministry had not only requested the registration of FIRs against the propagandists, but also their arrests as well as the blocking of their accounts.

The ongoing anti-cervical cancer campaign will continue until September 27.     

Reporter: Babar Shahzad Turk