NHS Halton and St Helens urged to ensure daughters receive cervical cancer vaccine

Sep 29 2011 by Oliver Clay, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

PARENTS are being urged to make sure their daughters are vaccinated to protect them from cervical cancer.

NHS Halton and St Helens routinely gives courses of three injections over six months to immunise against the human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes the disease.

In the next few weeks the school nursing teams will be giving the vaccine to eligible girls.

The organisation administers injections to 90% of school girls from the age of 12 upwards and estimates that it saves 35 lives a year.

Cervical cancer kills around 1,000 women in the UK each year. The HPV vaccine protects against the most common virus variants which are responsible for about 70% of cervical cancer cases.

Dr Dympna Edwards, NHS Halton and St Helens interim director for public health, said: “By receiving the vaccine early, girls can protect themselves against HPV and cervical cancer in later life.

“The school nursing team has done a tremendous job in facilitating the vaccination campaign, it is down to their hard work.”