Cervical cancer jab roll-out starts (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

Cervical cancer jab roll-out starts

11:42am Wednesday 3rd September 2008 in

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The Government is set to officially roll out its campaign to vaccinate young girls against a virus that causes cervical cancer.

Social networking sites have already been targeted in a bid to encourage girls to have the jab which helps protect against human Papillomavirus (HPV).

HPV is a sexually-transmitted infection that causes most cases of cervical cancer.

Schools across the UK will start vaccinating pupils aged 12 and 13 (Year 8) from this week onwards, with about 300,000 girls receiving the jab in England alone.

By July 2011, more than two million girls will have been offered the vaccine, including those up to the age of 18 as part of a catch-up programme.

The Government's campaign for England, which is launched later, includes online, press, TV and radio advertising.

A series of roadshows will also be held in shopping centres across the country.

The Government's main campaign will run this month and next, with some follow-up advertising in February to remind girls not to miss their third and final injection.

Girls aged 17 and 18, who form part of the catch-up programme, will be the target of a different advertising campaign in October.

The HPV vaccine protects against over 70% of the strains that cause cervical cancer, which accounts for around 1,000 deaths a year in the UK.