HPV vaccine backlog must be tackled urgently to save lives

The late Laura Brennan, 26, who campaigned to raise awareness and arrest the trend of vaccine hesitancy before her death from cervical cancer aged 26.

Pharmacists must be urgently drafted in to administer the HPV vaccine, a Fine Gael senator has said.

Concerns have been raised after it was revealed that just 53% of first-year students received the HPV vaccine last year. Pharmacists have offered to administer the jab, which protects against a number of cancers.