Britain planning cervical cancer efforts

LONDON, July 20 (UPI) -- Hundreds of thousands of teenage girls in Britain will receive a vaccination against the disease that can cause cervical cancer, a health official says.

British Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said the low cost of the Cervarix vaccine allowed the agency to arrange the September vaccination efforts, The Sunday Times of London reported.

Primarolo, who will officially announce the program Monday, said providing the human papilloma virus vaccine to as many as 300,000 girls ages 17-18 is part of the government's ongoing fight against cervical cancer.

"Our policy to vaccinate girls against cervical cancer is one of the biggest public health campaigns in recent history. It will mean up to 400 lives will be saved each year," the minister said.

The Times said the vaccine is designed to guard against two forms of the sexually transmitted disease, which has been found to have caused 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.