Cervical cancer deaths in young women fall to zero after HPV vaccination: Study

A study found no cervical cancer deaths between 2020 and 2024 among women aged 20 to 24 who received the HPV vaccine as teenagers. The findings add strong evidence that high HPV vaccination uptake can save lives.

In Short

• Researchers tracked cervical cancer deaths among women aged 20 to 34
• England launched HPV vaccination for girls aged 12 and 13 in 2008
• Vaccination coverage reached about 90% in England before the Covid-19 pandemic

A vaccine that protects against human papillomavirus (HPV), the main cause of cervical cancer, has been linked to a dramatic drop in cervical cancer deaths among young women in England.

Researchers Queen Mary University of London found that no women aged 20 to 24 died from cervical cancer between 2020 and 2024 among those who had received the HPV vaccine as teenagers.

Based on past trends, around 23 deaths would have been expected in this age group.

The findings provide some of the strongest evidence yet that widespread HPV vaccination can save lives and could help countries achieve the World Health Organization's goal of eliminating cervical cancer.

The study, published in The Lancet, was funded by Cancer Research UK.

No cervical cancer deaths among vaccinated young women

England introduced a national HPV vaccination programme for girls aged 12 and 13 in 2008. Vaccination coverage reached around 90% before the Covid-19 pandemic. A catch-up campaign also offered the vaccine to older teenage girls.

The researchers analysed cervical cancer deaths among women aged 20 to 34 between 2001 and 2024.

Among women aged 20 to 24, there were no cervical cancer deaths during the 2020-24 period. In women aged 25 to 29, deaths also fell sharply.

Overall, the researchers estimate that the vaccination programme prevented about 200 cervical cancer deaths in England by the end of 2024.

Women who received the vaccine at younger ages appeared to benefit the most.

Findings support global efforts to eliminate cervical cancer

Previous studies had already shown that HPV vaccination greatly reduces the number of cervical cancer cases. However, evidence showing that the vaccine lowers the risk of dying from the disease has been limited.

The new findings suggest that high vaccine uptake can not only prevent cervical cancer but also save lives.

The researchers said the results support the World Health Organisation's strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem and highlighted the importance of achieving high vaccination rates among adolescents worldwide.

HPV is a common virus that spreads through skin-to-skin contact and is responsible for most cases of cervical cancer. Vaccination before exposure to the virus offers the greatest protection.

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