Anti-cancer jab launched

Cervarix is said to guard against two strains of the human papillomavirus that cause most cervical cancers, says pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline.

It will be available on private prescription only, at 240 for three injections. It has not yet been approved by government for the NHS.

Girls as young as 12 could be vaccinated against cervical cancer from as early as autumn next year, the Government has said.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immun-isation recommends jabs to protect against the sexually transmitted infection HPV, which causes cancer.