Women vaccinated against HPV as teenagers have a "close to zero" risk of dying from cervical cancer, according to an optimistic new study – suggesting things are on track for the NHS' target to eliminate the disease by 2040.
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London examined cervical cancer deaths in England since the HPV vaccine was introduced for school-age girls in 2008 and found around 200 lives have already been saved thanks to the vaccination programme.
Quite incredibly, no cervical cancer deaths at all were recorded among women aged 20 to 24 between 2020 and 2024 – the first time this has happened over a five-year period. Researchers estimate that, without vaccination, around 23 deaths would have been expected.
Professor Peter Sasieni, via the BBC, the study's lead researcher, described the findings as remarkable, saying it was "incredible to think that a single jab can almost eliminate a particular type of cancer".
HPV (human papillomavirus) is an extremely common virus that most sexually active people will come into contact with at some point in their lives. In most cases, the body clears the infection naturally without causing any problems. However, some types of HPV can cause abnormal cell changes which, if left untreated, may develop into cervical cancer years later – which is why it's so important to get a regular smear test.
Because HPV is so common, experts have long stressed that a positive HPV test is not a sign that someone has done anything wrong, nor does it automatically mean they will develop cancer.
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Cancer Research UK, which funded the QMU study, called the findings an "incredible milestone". However, the charity also warned that HPV vaccination rates in England remain below recommended levels.
The results arrive as efforts continue to improve cervical cancer prevention, including an announcement last year regarding the rollout of at-home HPV testing kits for people who do not attend routine cervical screening appointments.
While the vaccine is proving highly effective, experts continue to urge eligible people to attend their cervical screening invitations, as screening remains one of the most important ways to detect potentially harmful HPV infections before cancer develops.
