More girls having cervical cancer jab

The number of girls having the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to protect against cervical cancer has risen, new figures show.

Public health minister Anne Milton revealed that more than 84 percent of 13 to 14-year-olds have received all three doses of the vaccine, which protects against two strains of HPV that are responsible for more than 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.

Among 12 to 13-year-olds, uptake currently stands at more than 76 per cent, but this figure is expected to rise.

Thanks to the introduction of a catch-up programme for girls aged between 14 and 18, more than three-fifths of all 12 to 19-year-olds have now completed the vaccine course.

Ms Milton described the vaccine as a "fantastic development" and welcomed the "encouraging" new uptake figures, while noting that further progress can still be made.

Robert Music, director of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, agreed that the number of girls getting vaccinated against HPV needs to increase further.

He revealed: "Research has shown that if uptake is 80 per cent year-on-year, we could see a two-thirds reduction in cervical cancer incidence in women under 30 by 2025."