State urged to introduce mass cervical vaccinations

SENIOR doctors have urged the Government to introduce a mass cervical vaccination programme in the coming budget.

In its pre-budget submission, the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists, in conjunction with the Irish Cancer Society and the Irish Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, said the vaccines should be made available for all 12-year-old girls.

The organisations said the mass cervical cancer (HPV) vaccination should be made available to 26,000 12-year-old girls next year and that it should be rolled out alongside the national cervical screening programme that is already in operation, CervicalCheck.