Girls' cervical cancer jab move

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The jabs would revolutionise the approach to beating cervical cancer, which kills more than 1,000 women in the UK each year.

Girls aged 12 to 13 would receive the vaccine in three doses over a six-month period at a cost of £300 per full course, the Department of Health said.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended the use of jabs to protect against the sexually transmitted infection human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cases of cervical cancer.

The Department of Health said it had agreed "in principle" to accept the JCVI's advice, subject to an independent review of the costs to the NHS. The jabs would not be compulsory but would be offered to girls in all parts of the UK.

At present, there are two jabs designed to be used in a vaccination programme. One, Gardasil, is made by Merck and Sanofi Pasteur and was introduced into the UK last year, although not approved by government for use on the NHS. It has been approved in dozens of other countries, including the US, Canada and Australia. Cervarix, made by GlaxoSmithKline, is expected to receive its EU licence later this year.

Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said on Wednesday: "In the UK alone, the lifetime risk of developing cervical cancer is one in 116.

"It is great news that vaccines have been developed that protect women against this form of cancer and I am delighted to announce that we intend, in principle, to introduce a HPV vaccine into the national immunisation programme.

"A significant amount of planning is required before we can introduce the immunisation into our programme. We are still working on the details and logistics, and will work closely with the NHS to ensure the vaccination can be delivered effectively. However, we are hoping that girls will start being vaccinated from as early as 2008."

The Department said smear testing would continue after the vaccine is introduced. This is because of the gap between the age of vaccination and age of first screening, and because the jab does not protect against all HPV types that may cause the cancer.