Cancer jab for pupils; HEALTH: Groundbreaking vaccine.

Byline: By Alison Dayani

BIRMINGHAM schoolgirls are to be vaccinated with the groundbreaking new cervical cancer jab in just over a week's time, health bosses have revealed.

The Human Papillomavirus Vaccine(HPV) will be given to pupils in south, north, and east Birmingham, with girls in central suburbs, Solihull and the Black Country following over the next two months.

Local primary care trusts (PCT) said girls in Year 8, aged 12 and 13, would be routinely offered the vaccine, which is a course of three injections over six months and protects against cervical cancer - but only with parental consent.

One-off catch up programmes are also taking place from this month for 17 and 18-year-olds with girls aged between 13 and 17 being offered the injection too over the next three years.

Some parents fear that vaccinated girls may be more inclined to have sex at a young age if they feel they are protected and less likely to have smear tests.

There have also been criticisms over whether enough trials have been done on the vaccine - called Cervarix.

But Department of Health officials believe it will save the lives of up to 400 women every year in the UK.

Nicola Benge, director of health improvement for north and east Birmingham, said: "I urge all parents to support their daughters to get this vaccination."

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer amongst women worldwide and the UK sees 3,000 women diagnosed with the disease and 1,000 deaths from it each year.

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