The state will be offering a relatively new vaccine for the HPV, a virus that causes warts in the genital area and can cause cervical cancer, Public Health Superintendent Ray Busuttil said.

He told a news conference that the incidence of cervical cancer in Malta was low and the vaccine would help keep it so.

The vaccine is this year being offered to girls born in the year 2000. It is estimated that it will be given to around 2,000 girls each year.

Addressing a news conference this afternoon, Dr Busuttil said that the TB vaccine was to stop being given across the board as evidence showed that due to its low incidence in developed countries, the vaccine was not offering as much protection as had been thought.

There was no evidence that it prevented reactivation or contagion and the World Health Organisation recommended that the vaccine was given at birth to children born in families at risk or in countries where there were more than 40 cases for every 100,000 people.

“We analysed the situation, went to the European Centre for Disease Control  and discussed the Maltese situation and they recommended that we offer a selective vaccination to high risk groups of children,” Dr Busuttil said.