HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS VACCINE

That this House welcomes the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on the use of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) for the prevention of cervical cancer; further welcomes the Government's acceptance in principle of the recommendation; notes the concerns expressed by the cervical cancer charity Jo's Trust over the continued slow progress towards full scale implementation of a national HPV immunisation programme and that this will expose young women leaving school in 2008 to infection by a virus that is now avoidable; and calls upon the Government to ensure that all girls in compulsory education are offered the HPV vaccine and that those leaving school in 2008, and older women up to 25 years old, can for a limited period self-refer to a GP for such a vaccination.