Cervical cancer vaccine mandatory rumour denied in UAE

Dubai: A top official on Tuesday denied media reports that cervical cancer vaccine will be made mandatory for schoolgirls in Dubai and Northern Emirates.

“The vaccine is optional, not mandatory,” Dr Hussain Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for Health Centres and Clinics, Ministry of Health and Prevention told Gulf News.

It is, however, is part of the national immunisation programme, he explained.

Also read: Parents raise concern over cervical cancer vaccine

The official was reacting to media reports that said the vaccine will be mandatory from October.

Parents, meanwhile, have raised concerns about the vaccine even as doctors say their fears are misplaced.

Some parents expressed apprehensions over the universal need and efficacy of the HPV or human papilloma virus vaccine, which has long been a subject of controversy globally.