Cervical cancer vaccine delay ‘a betrayal’ of 30,000 girls

THE Government has been accused of betraying around 30,000 young girls who were promised the cervical cancer vaccine before summer after the roll-out date for administering it has been pushed back.

Health Minister Mary Harney said last month that girls in first year of secondary school would get the HPV vaccine in June.

But “logistical” difficulties mean it will now be deferred until September at the earliest and is likely to include both first and second year girls in the initial stages.