The new HPV vaccination programme was officially launched this week in Belfast and within weeks will be rolled out to secondary schools throughout the North, including Derry.

The vaccination will take the form of three separate jabs over a period of time.

Cervical cancer is caused by an infection called the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), an infection which is usually sexually transmitted.

The free programme, which is not compulsory, intends to immunise all 12 to 13-year-old girls against HPV before they become sexually active, thus cutting the future death rate from cervical cancer by up to 70%.

Marie Lindsay, Principal of St. Mary's College, told the 'Journal' that she "cautiously welcomes" these new vaccinations but with some reservations.

"Any person responsible for the health and wellbeing of young girls would welcome a vaccination protecting them against cervical cancer, but of course there are still a number of concerns about this particular vaccination programme, aside from the obvious moral issues it raises," she said.

"This new vaccination is only 70% effective and does not give girls total protection from the HPV virus. It only protects against two strains of HPV, which is worrying considering there is a more effective vaccine out there which protects against all four strains of the virus. With this in mind, I would question why we are getting one and not the other?"

Mrs Lindsay says that the question of vaccinating should primarily be an issue between parents and daughters and for that reason, the forthcoming immunisation programme puts schools in an awkward position.

Ideally, she believes the vaccination programme should have been
conducted through the Health Service alongside an education programme.

"There need to be a fuller understanding of exactly what this vaccination will do as not all young people will fully understand the implications.

"This does not protect girls against any other sexually transmitted infections or the need for regular cervical screening as adults. Young people should be made aware of the causes and prevention of cervical cancer and need to know exactly what these vaccines entail," Mrs Lindsay said, "I would also have liked to see the programme include the most at-risk girls, some of whom are often not at school and therefore hard to reach."