Young girls in Bury have received a life saving vaccination months before other girls in the UK.

Date published: 09 July 2008

The vaccine will guard against the two strains of the HPV virus (HumanPapillomavirus) which causes 70% of cases of cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in women worldwide.

Bury Primary Care Trust's school nursing team was one of only two in the country (along with Stockport) to pilot the roll out of the vaccination in association with a Manchester University research group that recorded the school nurses feedback on practicalities of delivering the jab.

Following the huge success of the pilot - that saw 703 girls from 15 schools in Bury get vaccinated - a national HPV immunisation programme will be rolled out next year.

To celebrate their involvement with the study, Bury PCT school nursing team attended a celebratory event at Fairways Lodge and Leisure Club in Prestwich on Thursday July 3.

Director of Public Health Peter Elton opened the day by saying: "The flexibility and willingness you showed by taking part in such a big scale and influential pilot is a credit to you and in years to come - when cervical cancer rates plummet - you will know you were the ones who helped to do it."

Reader in women’s health at Manchester University Loretta Brabin – who presented feedback of the study and hosted a question and answer session at the event - said: “The study would not have been so successful had it not been for the enthusiasm and dedication of the Bury school nursing team - no one could have worked any harder.”

Nationally, the HPV vaccine could save the lives of 400 women a year.