Young girls in Scotland will be the first in the UK to be offered vaccination against the Human Papiloma Virus (HPV), which can lead to the development of cervical cancer.
From September the vaccine will be available to girls under the age of 18 as part of a £64 million three-year campaign by the Scottish Government.
Scotland's programme comes at least a year before similar schemes for the rest of the UK. Each dose of the vaccine costs about £250 and extra funds will be made available to the NHS boards involved in recognition of the complexity and additional expense incurred.
Girls will receive the vaccine at the age of 12 or 13, with extra catch-up sessions being available for older teenagers who would otherwise miss out.
Public Health Minister Shona Robison said: "This is one of the biggest and most complex immunisation programmes ever undertaken in Scotland.
"But it has potential to deliver tremendous health benefits for future generations of young women, offering them protection against the virus responsible for almost three quarters of cervical cancers."
The vaccine will protect against two particular strains of HPV, types 16 and 18, which are responsible for about 70% of all cervical cancers.
From September the vaccine will be available to girls under the age of 18 as part of a £64 million three-year campaign by the Scottish Government.
Scotland's programme comes at least a year before similar schemes for the rest of the UK. Each dose of the vaccine costs about £250 and extra funds will be made available to the NHS boards involved in recognition of the complexity and additional expense incurred.
Girls will receive the vaccine at the age of 12 or 13, with extra catch-up sessions being available for older teenagers who would otherwise miss out.
Public Health Minister Shona Robison said: "This is one of the biggest and most complex immunisation programmes ever undertaken in Scotland.
"But it has potential to deliver tremendous health benefits for future generations of young women, offering them protection against the virus responsible for almost three quarters of cervical cancers."
The vaccine will protect against two particular strains of HPV, types 16 and 18, which are responsible for about 70% of all cervical cancers.
