A programme to vaccinate schoolgirls against the virus which causes cervical cancer has begun.
Schools in several Scottish areas will start vaccinating pupils aged 12 and 13 from this week.
They will be the first in the UK to receive the jab as part of a nationwide programme announced last year.
The Cervarix vaccination works by targeting the human papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV causes around 70% of cases of cervical cancer, which kills more than 1,000 women in the UK each year.
The programme was announced in October and will eventually see all girls up to the age of 18 offered the vaccination.
The programme is getting under way in Scotland first because schools started back sooner north of the border than the rest of the UK.
Schools in other parts of the country are expected to roll out the programme in the coming weeks.
The jab, which is not compulsory, is expected to revolutionise the approach to beating the disease.
The vaccine costs around £300 for a full course and will be given in three doses over a six-month period.
