A shot offered to UK schoolgirls since 2008 appears to have almost wiped out cervical cancer deaths in the youngest women, researchers say. A major study of England's HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccination program found that girls who received the vaccine at 12 or 13 now face an almost nonexistent risk of dying from cervical cancer before 30, reports the BBC. Between 2020 and 2024, there were no recorded cervical cancer deaths among women ages 20 to 24—when roughly two dozen would have been expected without vaccination. Researchers estimate about 200 lives have been saved so far, calling the drop just "the tip of the iceberg" as vaccinated cohorts age. The study was published in the Lancet.
"It's incredible to think that a single jab can almost eliminate a particular type of cancer," says lead researcher Peter Sasieni of Queen Mary University of London. The findings arrive with a warning: Coverage is slipping. About 76% of girls in England had been vaccinated by 15 in 2024–25, well short of the 90% target the WHO says is needed to effectively eliminate the disease. Cancer Research UK urged "targeted action" in communities with low uptake, while officials are expanding catch-up campaigns and HPV self-testing for screening holdouts.
The Guardian, citing World Health Organization stats, notes that cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women. About 3,300 women are diagnosed annually in the UK, and about 13,500 in the US. Boys have been included in the UK vaccination program since 2019, protecting them against several cancers and helping cut transmission, as the UK aims to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2040.
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