Data from NHS Scotland show that 88 per cent of eligible girls have received all three vaccinations and 94 per cent have been given one jab.

The latest figures for England showed that 70 per cent of eligible girls had received all three vaccinations and 87 per cent had received only one.

A Scottish government spokeswoman said it was 'fantastic' that more than 90 per cent of girls in school offered the HPV vaccine have opted to receive at least one dose.

'The figures are testament to the hard work of NHS boards, particularly front-line staff,' she said.

'We will continue to ensure that Scottish girls benefit from this vaccine, and the second year of the schools-based HPV programme is already underway.'

NHS Scotland also issued interim figures for the catch-up programme for school leavers aged 16 and 17, showing 43 per cent uptake for the first dose.

However, the Scottish government said the figures did not provide a full picture and uptake was expected to increase.

The spokeswoman said boards were at different stages of the campaign and some girls had only recently begun their course of jabs.