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Number of pupils receiving HPV vaccine decreases

300 women in Ireland are diagnosed with cervical every year
300 women in Ireland are diagnosed with cervical every year

Uptake rates for the HPV vaccine that protects from cervical cancer have further decreased, according to the Health Service Executive.

Since 2010, all girls in first year of secondary school are offered the vaccine free of charge.

The HSE says preliminary figures show that 70% of girls used the service during the 2015/2016 school year, down from 87% in 2014.

The vaccine is recommended by the World Health Organization, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee and the International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

However, some groups have expressed concern after reports that a number of girls developed serious health problems following vaccination.

The HSE says there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland,  Dr Brenda Corcoran of the HSE's National Immunisation Office said that all global regulatory bodies have deemed the vaccine safe.

She said the symptoms reported by some are experienced in people who have been vaccinated and those who have not.

According to the HSE, around 300 women in Ireland are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year and 90 women die from it.

It is the second most common cause of death due to cancer in women aged 25 to 39 years.

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