Cervical cancer deaths fall to zero in young women given vaccine

Around 200 lives have been saved in England so far thanks to a vaccine which protects against cervical cancer, according to analysis published in the Lancet.

The first study of its kind showed that deaths have fallen sharply since school-age girls were offered the human papillomavirus (HPV) jab in 2008.

Between 2020 and 2024, no cervical cancer deaths were recorded in women aged 20 to 24 - the first time that had happened over a five-year period.

Without vaccination, around 23 deaths would have been expected.

"It's incredible to think that a single jab can almost eliminate a particular type of cancer," said Prof Peter Sasieni, the lead researcher at Queen Mary University of London.

The study also found that those children vaccinated at age 12 or 13 now have close to zero risk of dying from the disease before the age of 30.

Before the HPV vaccination campaign, around 20 deaths every year were being recorded in that age group.

Overall, cervical cancer is still the 14th most common cancer among females in the UK, with 3,300 people diagnosed every year.

It is thought HPV, a virus which is spread through close skin-to-skin contact, causes 99% of those cases.

Most HPV infections clear up without any problems, but some cause abnormal cell changes and can lead to cancer years later.

The report's authors expect the numbers dying from the disease to continue to fall as more are given a HPV jab and vaccinated people grow older.

Cancer Research UK, which funded the research, described the findings as an "incredible milestone" but warned that vaccination rates in England were running below recommended levels.

"We know the HPV vaccine is extremely effective at stopping cervical cancer before it starts and for the first time these findings show it is saving lives," said the organisation's chief executive Michelle Mitchell.

Alexandra Legg left school just before the HPV vaccine was introduced in England.

In 2021, just as she was planning her wedding, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer aged 30.

"I remember hearing the words and I just couldn't really breathe very well," she says.

"I was so upset - everything went through my head, it was so hard."

Her treatment involved the removal of lymph nodes in her abdomen, although surgeons were able to preserve a small part of her cervix, giving her a chance of becoming pregnant.

Just a year later, Ivy was born. Her middle name is Marvella - meaning "miracle".

"Those nine months were so scary because I was at such risk of losing her at any point," she says.

Alexandra says her life could have been far less traumatic if she had been offered the HPV vaccine and urged those eligible to get it.

"I'm a real advocate for this vaccine and when Ivy is old enough, she'll be first in the queue," she adds.

Prof Sasieni, who specialises in cancer epidemiology at Queen Mary University of London, describes the reduction in deaths since the introduction of the vaccine as the "tip of the iceberg".

"As vaccinated generations grow older, we'll see many more lives saved from cervical cancer," he adds.

"New research shows just how vital it is to keep HPV vaccination levels high so more people are protected."

The UK government has pledged to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2040.

But the latest data shows vaccination rates across the country have fallen below recommended levels.

Data from the UK Health Security Agency shows that 76% of girls in England were vaccinated by the age of 15 in 2024-25, well below the 90% that the World Health Organization (WHO) says is needed to eliminate cervical cancer.

"It's essential that the UK Government and health systems urgently address this with targeted action to reach communities where uptake is the lowest," says Michelle Mitchell at Cancer Research UK.

Despite the rollout of the HPV vaccine, women aged 25 to 64 are still advised to attend cervical screening (formerly known as a smear test).

Boys have also been given the HPV vaccine since 2019, which helps to protect them against anal, penis, throat and mouth cancers, and reduces the risk of them passing the virus on to girls.

The Department of Health and Social Care in England said the study showed the "extraordinary impact of the HPV vaccination".

"We are boosting vaccine uptake so that more young people benefit from this life-saving protection - including rolling out catch-up HPV vaccination campaigns via community pharmacies," said a spokesman.

HPV self-testing kits are also being sent out to women who have not yet come forward for screening, he added.