The end of cervical cancer? Study claims HPV vaccine leads to almost zero fatalities from the dreaded disease; find out how it prevented nearly 200 deaths in England

A recent study has found that women who are administered with the HPV vaccine as teenagers have virtually zero risk of dying from cervical cancer. The study also found that the vaccination program had prevented some 200 deaths from cervical cancer in England by the end of 2024.

Professor Peter Sasieni from Queen Mary University of London who led the research told the BBC, "It's absolutely incredible to think that a single jab could pretty much eradicate a particular type of cancer." He added, “As vaccinated generations grow older, we’ll see many more lives saved from cervical cancer.”

A paper was published in The Lancet on cervical cancer deaths in England which looked at the number of cervical cancer deaths in women aged 20–24, 25–29 and 30–34 in England from 2001 to 2024.


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They compared actual deaths with the number expected if the vaccination program had not been introduced. Throughout the years the UK has had different vaccines used in their HPV program. Initially they used Cervarix that targets HPV type 16 and 18. However, in 2012 they moved on to Gardasil, which targets 4 types of HPV. Finally, in 2022, Gardasil 9 was introduced to target 9 types of HPV including types 16 and 18.

What did Cancer Research UK have to say about the findings?

Cancer Research UK’s CEO Michelle Mitchell said, "We know the HPV vaccine is incredibly effective at preventing cervical cancer from ever developing and for the first time these findings demonstrate it is actually saving lives."

She also cautioned that falling vaccination rates could put all that progress at risk. Mitchell told the BBC that the UK government and health systems would need to take targeted action to reach the communities with low vaccination rates.

Despite the success of the vaccination program there are still fewer young people being vaccinated than the WHO would have us believe.

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BBC says 76% of girls in England had had the vaccine by age 15 for 2024–2025. That's below the WHO target of 90%.

Do women still need cervical screening following HPV vaccination?

The HPV vaccine doesn't protect against every high risk strain of the virus. Cancer Research UK recommend that women attend cervical screening when they are invited, even if they have had the vaccine.

The organisation states that the combination of vaccination and cervical screening provides the best protection against cervical cancer.

The story of Alex

Alex had not had the HPV vaccination because the program started after her exit from the school. 30-year-old Alex was diagnosed with cervical cancer in April 2021. The treatment caused removal of the cervix and lymph nodes in her abdomen. After the surgery, her surgeon left just 0.5 cm of her cervix to preserve her ability to conceive.

She said according to BBC, “If sharing my story encourages women to attend their cervical screening appointments when invited and helps young people understand the importance of the HPV vaccine, then I know I’m helping to raise awareness and potentially make a difference.”

After seven months of the surgery, she was pregnant with a girl. Then she went on and gave birth to her daughter Ivy. She was identified with cervical cancer again after just two years she gave birth.