Cervical cancer vaccine concern

NEARLY a thousand Oldham girls are failing to take-up a life-saving vaccine to help prevent the cancer which killed “Big Brother” star Jade Goody.

Figures released by the Department of Health (DoH) revealed only 38 per cent of students aged 17 to 18 have received their first dose of the HPV jab which prevents against strains of cervical cancer. It means 973 of the borough’s 1,570 pupils still need to decide whether they want to be immunised.

However, take-up rates among 12 to 13-year-olds, usually given in schools, are significantly higher at 95.7 per cent — much more than the national average.

Some 84.3 per cent of 12 to 13-year-olds nationwide have had their first jab — together with a further 40.2 per cent of older pupils.

All girls aged 12 and 13 in Oldham are being offered the vaccine to protect them against the sexually-transmitted papilloma virus as well as 17 and 18-year-olds, who missed out on the jab at school.

A DoH spokesman said: “The decision is legally the child’s as long as she understands the issues in giving consent. However, the DoH has advised that parental consent should be sought whereever possible.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women under 35-years-old. About 3,000 women are diagnosed with the disease in the UK each year and, of these, around 1,100 will die.

Alan Higgins, director of public health for Oldham, said: “Giving the vaccination to girls aged 17 to 18 is an area where we want to improve. We will be doubling our efforts to achieve this.”