Schoolgirls 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 jab guards against two strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) virus – 16 and 18 – which cause 70% of cases of cervical cancer. It is offered routinely to girls aged 12 to 13. But an investigation by GP magazine found that 24 schools in 83 of England’s 152 primary care trust (PCT) areas were opting out of the vaccination programme, many of them on religious grounds. The magazine found the majority of the schools opting out did not tell their local GPs, where the girls could be offered the vaccine. Just two of the 15 PCTs where schools are denying the vaccination course told GPs of their decision. Only five of the 15 PCTs said they informed pupils or guardians how to obtain the vaccine elsewhere, the GP magazine figures show.
