Vaccines for teens

The teenage years are a key time for some important vaccinations.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, also known as cervical cancer vaccination, is offered routinely to all 12- to 13-year-old girls to protect them from cervical cancer in later life. The jab protects against two types of HPV, which cause more than 70 per cent of cervical cancers.

Students, too, may need certain vaccinations. Infections can spread among students very quickly, and there have been serious outbreaks of mumps in universities in recent years. Teenagers leaving home to go to college or university should be vaccinated against mumps and meningitis C if they didn't have those vaccinations as children.

The vaccines
The NHS vaccinations routinely offered free of charge to teenagers.
More on the vaccines

Mumps alert
There has been a lot of mumps among teenagers in recent years. Advice on how to prevent the disease with vaccination.
More on mumps