Jab call to unprotected teenagers

HEALTH officials have urged hundreds of thousands of people to get a vaccine that protects against certain cancers.

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It comes amid warnings that more than 418,000 children have left school with no protection against human papillomavirus (HPV) since 2022.

The HPV vaccine is offered to boys and girls when they are in Year 8 and is key to wiping out cervical cancer in the UK.

Around 13 high-risk types of HPV are known to cause 99.7% of cervical cancers. The jab also protects against genital warts and head and neck cancers, such as those in the mouth or throat.