HPV vaccine tied to zero cervical cancer deaths in young English women

A national study in England has linked HPV vaccination to a sharp fall in cervical cancer deaths among young women. The findings matter because researchers say they offer direct national evidence that the vaccine is preventing deaths, not only infections and cancer cases.

The study, published in The Lancet, found that no women ages 20 to 24 in England died from cervical cancer between 2020 and 2024. Researchers from Queen Mary University of London said it was the first time that age group had recorded no deaths from the disease.

The research examined population-based mortality data from 2001 through 2024. According to the study, cervical cancer mortality in the same age group also fell by 80% between 2015 and 2019, before reaching zero recorded deaths in the following five-year period.

Queen Mary University of London said the vaccine, introduced for British children at ages 12 to 13, has left those vaccinated at that age with a risk of dying from cervical cancer before 30 that is close to zero. The study estimated that HPV vaccination has prevented nearly 200 deaths among young women in England since the program began.

Vaccinated generations are now reaching adulthood

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the most common sexually transmitted infection, according to the report. Certain types of the virus can later cause cervical, vulvar, vaginal and other cancers.

England introduced HPV vaccination for girls in 2008, and boys were added to the program in 2019, according to the study summary. Cancer Research UK, which funded the research, said it had previously been difficult to show a direct effect on cervical cancer deaths because the vaccinated groups had not yet reached the ages when deaths could be measured.

Peter Sasieni, the study’s lead author and a professor of cancer epidemiology, said in a Queen Mary University of London statement that earlier research had shown HPV vaccination prevents infections, precancerous changes and cervical cancer. Sasieni said this study was the first to show its effect on cervical cancer mortality.

Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell said the results point toward a future in which cervical cancer becomes rare, with vaccination and cervical screening working together. The charity said the findings are the strongest national evidence so far that HPV vaccination is saving lives.

Uptake remains a concern

The study reported that vaccination coverage was close to 90% in the cohort examined. Cancer Research UK said uptake has fallen in recent years, raising concern that gains could weaken if fewer adolescents receive the vaccine.

Mitchell said the UK government and health systems should target communities where vaccination rates are lowest. According to Cancer Research UK, about 76% to 86% of girls in the UK are vaccinated by age 15, below the 90% coverage level recommended by the World Health Organization.

The World Health Organization launched a global strategy in 2020 to eliminate cervical cancer, which it describes as one of the most common cancers affecting women. Australia began the first publicly funded school-based HPV vaccination program for adolescent girls in 2007, according to the report.

This story draws on original reporting from Medical Xpress.