Deaths from cervical cancer have effectively been eliminated among young women vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV), according to a study by Queen Mary University of London published in The Lancet.
The research, the first of its kind to directly examine mortality from the disease following the introduction of HPV vaccination, found that not a single death from cervical cancer was recorded among women aged 20 to 24 in England between 2020 and 2024.
Researchers estimate that, without the vaccination programme, around 23 deaths would have been expected in the same age group during that period.
The HPV vaccine has been offered to school-age girls in England since 2008. According to the findings, girls vaccinated at ages 12 or 13 now face an almost zero risk of dying from cervical cancer before the age of 30.
Lead researcher Professor Peter Sasieni described the results as “remarkable,” adding: “It is incredible to think that a single vaccine can almost eliminate a specific form of cancer.”
Scientists estimate that around 200 lives have already been saved in England as a result of the programme, with that number expected to rise as vaccinated generations grow older.
Cervical cancer remains the 14th most common cancer among women in the UK, with approximately 3,300 new cases diagnosed each year. About 99% of cases are linked to HPV, a highly common virus transmitted primarily through close skin-to-skin contact.
Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, described the findings as a “historic milestone,” while noting that vaccination rates in England remain below desired levels.
According to the latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency, 76% of girls in England had received the vaccine by age 15 during the 2024-25 school year. This remains well below the World Health Organization's 90% target for eliminating cervical cancer.
The British government has pledged to eliminate the disease by 2040 and is already expanding catch-up vaccination programmes through community pharmacies, while also sending self-testing kits to women who do not attend routine screening appointments.
Since 2019, the HPV vaccine has also been offered to boys in the UK, providing protection against other cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, penis and anus, while helping reduce transmission of the virus across the population.
