GIRLS at a Sheffield school rolled up their sleeves to receive a new jab which protects against cervical cancer.
The Year 8 pupils at Bradfield School in Worrall are among the first in the country to receive the vaccination as part of a new Government immunisation scheme.
The injection is to be offered to all 12 and 13-year-old girls to give them future protection against two strains of the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus.
The virus is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases and can develop into cervical cancer.
But having the jab could cut their risk of developing the disease by 70 per cent.
Student Alice Ibbotson, aged 12, from Stannington, said: "It stung a little bit when the needle went in but it's 10 seconds of pain. It's worth it to avoid getting cancer when you are older."
Hannah Gooch, 12, from Stannington, said: "We were all dead nervous about it before and it hurt a bit but it wasn't too bad.
"I think the boys are quite pleased they don't have to have to have it - but we're worried they are going to start punching us in our arms when we go back to our science lesson!"
The girls, who said they were excited to be making history as the first group of students to be vaccinated, must have two more shots of the vaccination this academic year.
They said their mothers had explained its importance.
NHS nurses will visit every school in Sheffield to give jabs to all those whose parents have consented.
Peter Lane, assistant head at Bradfield, said: "As far as I know the uptake has been pretty good - parents we have at the school are very supportive."
Frances Cunning, NHS Sheffield's public health consultant, said: "Giving the vaccine at this age enables the girls to get the most benefit from the vaccine. However, it will still be essential for the girls to have regular cervical screening once they are older."
Big Brother star Jade Goody was diagnosed with cervical cancer in August and her diagnosis has raised the profile of the disease.
Cervical cancer develops in the entrance to the womb or cervix and every year around 1,000 women die from it in the UK.
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