Those whose children were due to be vaccinated today have also received detailed written advice “to offer reassurance for parents or young people who are worried about the safety of the vaccine.”

NHS chiefs also pulled the plug on planned injections at two schools in Halton and two in St Helens following “lots of calls from worried parents whose daughters were scheduled to receive the HPV vaccination.”

A spokesman added: “NHS Halton and St Helens felt that it was appropriate to reschedule Tuesday’s immunisation sessions to ensure the specified batch had been removed and alternative stock levels were available.”

These included St Chad’s Catholic and Church of England joint faith High School in Runcorn where around 200 female students aged 14 to 16 were minutes away from having the jab.

The girls had been sent for and nurses were around 15 minutes from administering the injections when Halton and St Helens NHS contacted the school to abort that day’s jabs.

Headteacher Andrew Keeley said yesterday’s cancellation coincided with calls from “a couple of parents who contacted the school saying they were concerned and did not want their daughters having the injection.”

He said parents would have the final say if they wanted their children to have the jab.

Last night Fiona Johnstone, director of health strategy with NHS Halton and St Helens, said the vaccination programme would continue as normal today stressing “over one million girls have already been vaccinated across the country and there have been no previous concerns or extreme reactions to the vaccine.”

However, Karen Wood, North West spokesman for the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Association said: “All parents will want to be reassured of the safety of the vaccination.”