YOUNG girls are being urged to take up a vaccine against cervical cancer.

Leaders at NHS Worcestershire are urging parents across Worcestershire to protect their children against the disease.

School nurses will be organising school vaccination sessions for 12 and 13-year-old girls in school year eight over the coming months.

Home-educated girls and girls up to 17 years old are also being encouraged to get the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine, which can protect against cervical cancer, at their GP practice.

Dr Ash Banerjee, public health consultant at NHS Worcestershire, said: “HPV vaccination is simple, safe and can prevent up to 70 per cent of cases of cervical cancer.

"I strongly encourage parents to ensure their children are fully protected against this potentially devastating disease.”

The virus, which causes cervical cancer, can be passed on sexually.

The majority of women will have HPV infection at some stage during their life and in most cases it resolves spontaneously.

But in a small proportion of women, persistent infection leads to cervical cancer.

Dr Banerjee said: “It is essential that vaccinated women still present themselves for cervical screening from 25 years of age.”

The national programme has been running for two years.

In Worcestershire, about 70 per cent of year eight girls were fully immunised last year.

Young girls who did not complete the full three-dose course can contact their GP practice to arrange getting any remaining doses. Three immunisations are required over a six-month period.

For year eight girls, all doses are delivered in school by school nurses.

Older girls up to the age of 17, who have never had any HPV immunisations, can get the vaccine from their GP practice.