Cervical cancer deaths fall to zero in young women given vaccine in England

A groundbreaking study has revealed that cervical cancer deaths have been effectively eliminated among young women in England who received the HPV vaccine during their early teenage years. The research, spearheaded by Queen Mary University of London and funded by Cancer Research UK, found that no women aged 20 to 24 died from cervical cancer in England between 2020 and 2024, marking a historic public health achievement. This significant milestone is attributed to the national HPV vaccination program introduced in English schools in 2008.

The study, published in The Lancet, estimates that children vaccinated at ages 12-13 have a near-zero risk of dying from cervical cancer before turning 30. Overall, the HPV vaccine is credited with preventing approximately 200 cervical cancer deaths in England to date, a figure expected to rise substantially as more vaccinated generations reach older ages.

Despite this remarkable progress, experts have expressed concern over declining HPV vaccination rates in recent years. There are warnings that without concerted efforts to increase vaccine uptake, these positive trends could be reversed, potentially leading to a resurgence of preventable deaths.