Recent data indicates that the UK-wide programme regarding vaccination girls against the sexually-transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) is giving positive results.

HPV is the reason behind most cases of cervical cancer which takes life of more than 1,000 women in the UK each year.

Data showed that in the first year of vaccination programme, 70% of 12-to-13-year-old girls in England have been fully vaccinated. But data also indicate that 13% of girls may have rejected the vaccine.

Seven out of 10 girls in Year 8 have received all three doses needed to guard against cervical cancer while around 87% girls had been administered at least one of the three doses.

Robert Music, director of the cervical cancer charity Jo’s Trust, said: “Given the HPV vaccine was only introduced last September, it is a positive start to this important programme for 70% of eligible girls to have received all three doses of the vaccine.”

Figures showed that only 85% of the children had received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The report showed that only 78% of children in United Kingdom have received the first and second doses of the MMR vaccine between the ages of three and five.