Cervical cancer deaths fall to zero in vaccinated young women, Lancet study shows

Study findings

A study funded by Cancer Research UK and led by Queen Mary University of London found that between 2020 and 2024, there were no cervical cancer deaths among women aged 20 to 24 in England for the first time over a five-year period. Without vaccination, around 23 deaths would have been expected in that age group. The analysis, published in The Lancet, estimates that since the human papillomavirus (HPV) jab was introduced for school-age girls in 2008, approximately 200 young women have been saved from dying of the disease. Children vaccinated at age 12 or 13 now have close to zero risk of dying from cervical cancer before the age of 30.

We estimate that since its introduction, HPV vaccination has prevented nearly 200 young women from dying from cervical cancer in England.

The study also reported an 80% reduction in cervical cancer deaths among women aged 20 to 24 between 2015 and 2019. For vaccinated women now aged 30 to 34, the relative risk of death from the disease is 63% lower.

How the vaccine works

HPV is a group of viruses spread through close skin-to-skin contact, and high-risk strains cause 99.7% of cervical cancers. The vaccine prevents about 90% of cervical cancers and also protects against other HPV-related cancers of the anus, penis, vagina, vulva, mouth, and throat, as well as genital warts. Most HPV infections clear without symptoms, but persistent high-risk infections can lead to precancerous changes and cancer years later.

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.

Despite the vaccine's success, cervical cancer remains the 14th most common cancer among females in the UK, with around 3,300 new cases diagnosed each year. Women aged 25 to 64 are still advised to attend cervical screening, as the jab does not cover all cancer-causing HPV types.

Vaccination programme and uptake challenges

The HPV vaccine was introduced for girls in England in 2008 and for boys in 2019, with catch-up campaigns for older year groups. Ireland, which launched its own Cervical Cancer Elimination Action Plan in 2024, began vaccinating girls in 2010 and boys in 2019. The World Health Organization targets 90% of girls vaccinated against HPV by age 15 by 2030 as part of a global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer.

Coverage has slipped in recent years. In the 2024-25 school year, 75.5% of girls and 70.5% of boys in year 11 in England were vaccinated, well below the 90% target. The UK Health Security Agency reported that 76% of girls had been vaccinated by age 15 in the same period. The Department of Health and Social Care said it is boosting uptake through community-pharmacy catch-up campaigns and sending self-testing kits to women who have not attended screening.

It's essential that the UK Government and health systems urgently address this with targeted action to reach communities where uptake is the lowest.

Personal impact

Alexandra Legg left school just before the vaccine was introduced. In 2021, aged 30, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer while planning her wedding. Treatment involved lymph-node removal and preservation of a small part of her cervix, and a year later she gave birth to her daughter Ivy. She now advocates for the jab.

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

The UK government has pledged to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2040. Lead author Professor Peter Sasieni described the current reduction in deaths as "the tip of the iceberg", predicting that as vaccinated generations age, many more lives will be saved.