Children vaccinated for HPV have close to zero risk of dying from cervical cancer before age 30, study suggests | Science, Climate & Tech News

Children who are vaccinated for HPV at age 12-13 have close to zero risk of dying from cervical cancer before they are 30, a study estimates.

A study funded by Cancer Research UK and led by Queen Mary University of London shows the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is working to help wipe out cervical cancer across the country.

Data suggests that around 200 lives in England have been saved so far since the vaccine was introduced – for girls in 2008 and for boys in 2019.

This figure is set to rise as people who have been given the vaccine age and more are vaccinated.

Between 2020 and 2024, there were no deaths from cervical cancer in women aged 20 to 24 in England for the first time – without an HPV vaccine, about 23 deaths would have been expected.

There was also an 80% reduction in cervical cancer deaths among women of that age group from 2015 to 2019, the study published in The Lancet medical journal shows.

The HPV vaccine protects not only against cervical cancer, but also genital warts as well as head and neck cancers, such as those in the mouth and throat.

The HPV vaccine is routinely offered in Year 8, with some local authorities running catch-up programmes in Year 9 and 10.

Experts warn of falling vaccination rates

Despite progress towards eliminating cervical cancer, experts are worried about falling vaccination rates, which could threaten progress.

Cancer Research UK said around one in four young people currently leaves school unvaccinated.

In England, nearly 72% of girls were vaccinated in Year 8 from 2024 to 2025, as were 67% of boys. By Year 10, this reached 75.5% for girls and 70.5% for boys, but it was below the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of 90% for girls and lower than the previous year.

London had the lowest HPV vaccination rates at 62.6% for girls and 57.7% for boys.

HPV vaccination has been introduced in 100 countries as part of efforts by the WHO to eliminate cervical cancer.

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Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “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 – a powerful example of what’s possible when science is backed by strong public health programmes.

“Thanks to HPV vaccination and cervical screening, a future where almost nobody gets cervical cancer is now firmly in sight.

“But uptake of the vaccine has dropped in recent years, and this progress is at risk.”

She added: “Beating cervical cancer means beating it for everyone. Every parent and guardian can support this by making sure children and young people get the HPV vaccine.”

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Professor Peter Sasieni, lead author of the study from Queen Mary, said: “This is the first study to highlight the impact of HPV vaccination on cervical cancer mortality.

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

“But that’s just the tip of the iceberg – as vaccinated generations grow older, we’ll see many more lives saved from cervical cancer.”