Reassurances over cervical cancer vaccine safety

Safety concerns about the HPV vaccine have been addressed at an EU summit on cervical cancer in Brussels today.

Professor Paolo Bonanni from the University of Florence said that Irish parents should not hesitate in getting the vaccine for their daughters when it becomes available later this year.

The professor said the long-term adverse affects are not known at this stage but tests done on tens of thousands of girls across Europe show that getting the jab does not increase the risk of getting other illnesses.

The conference is being held as part of European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.