DOCTOR’S NOTE

Getting the HPV jab early vastly reduces the likelihood of getting cervical cancer, according to a new study by King’s College London and Cancer Research UK.

The jab is offered to teenage girls on the NHS, and is usually offered during Year Eight. The paper analysed all cases of the disease in women aged 20-64 diagnosed between January and June 2019.

Among those who had the jab aged 12-13, there were 87% fewer cases of cervical cancer, compared to just 34% fewer cases in women who had the jab when they were aged 16-18.