SUKKUR: A six-member health department team has arrived in Jacobabad to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of a young girl, who allegedly passed away after being inoculated, officials said on Wednesday.

According to Sumaira’s family, the teenager and her younger sister Naseeman had been rushed to a private hospital in Sukkur after they both lost consciousness.

Their uncle, Gul Meer, told reporters that the incident occurred after the two were administered the HPV vaccine in the Sadoorababad area of Thull in, Jacobabad district.

Sumaira died during treatment, while her sister is said to be in critical condition, he said.

As the family blamed the HPV vaccine for the death of the teenage girl, her body was brought to the Thull Taluka Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Later, the body was handed over to the family for burial.

The girl’s uncle said that a few days ago, a health department team had come to their home to administer the vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, but they refused and the team left.

A day later, the vaccinators came back when the males of the family were away.

They assured the women at the house that it was safe to have the vaccine.

The team administered the vaccine to three sisters — Sumaira, Naseeman, and Mussarat.

However, the condition of two of them started deteriorating, and the family rushed them to a hospital, where Sumaira died.

Dr Raj Kumar, the project director of the Sindh Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), told Dawn that the same HPV vaccine was used in more than 150 countries, but no such reaction had occurred in any of the patients anywhere in the world.

He said that a six-member team, including members from the World Health Organisation (WHO), reached Jacobabad and an inquiry was underway.

Jacobabad District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Siraj Ahmed Sehito told Dawn that a joint investigating team comprising Dr Sauz Ali Jakhrani, Dr Muhammad Tariq Memon, Dr Ayaz Ahmed Memon, Dr Saima Solangi, Dr Ameer Kumar and Abdul Shakoor was looking into the incident and it would submit its findings soon.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2025