BRUSSELS, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Young people should be vaccinated at an early age against human papillomavirus (HPV), one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted infection, the National Health Council of Belgium said Friday.

    HPV infections are often contracted within the first few years of sexual activity, therefore it is necessary to vaccinate young people in time, the council said.

    There is a clear link between cervical cancer, HPV infection, tumors in the genital region and genital warts. In Belgium about 70 percent of cases of cervical cancer can be traced to a form of HPV, it said.

    Since an antiviral vaccine recently became available in Belgium, the council recommends that girls between the ages of 10 and 15 be vaccinated preventively.

    Women between the ages of 14 and 26 who have not been vaccinated preventively can ask their physicians for a vaccine, regardless of whether they are sexually active or not, it said.

    The National Health Council also recommends that systematic cervical cancer screenings be organized.