Schoolgirls denied HPV vaccination

Girls are being denied a potentially life-saving cervical cancer jab at their schools on the grounds of religion.

Some schools in England have opted out of the HPV vaccination programme because their pupils "follow strict Christian principles" and "do not practise sex outside marriage".

The vaccination guards against two strains of the human papilloma virus – 16 and 18 – which cause 70 per cent of cervical cancer cases.

An investigation by GP magazine found that 24 schools in 83 of England's 152 primary care trust areas were opting out of the programme.