zero cervical – For the first time, no women aged 20 to 24 in England died of cervical cancer between 2020 and 2024, a milestone researchers link to HPV vaccination—offered to girls since 2008 and to boys since 2019.
On the face of it, the number should be small. In England, between 2020 and 2024, none of the women aged 20 to 24 died of cervical cancer.
Researchers say this is the first time that zero cervical-cancer deaths have been recorded for that age group—and they credit a vaccine against human papillomavirus. or HPV. “The results are stunning,” said Peter Sasieni at Queen Mary University of London. “It’s an awful thing when somebody dies very young from cervical cancer. This is a real triumph for vaccination. a real triumph for science and a real triumph for public health to get that vaccine out there with very high uptake very rapidly.”.
Cervical cancer in early adulthood is closely tied to HPV, which is spread by several kinds of sexual activity. Multiple HPV strains can genetically modify cells in ways that are extremely likely to cause cancer, and many people around the world are still dying as a result.
The first HPV vaccine became available in 2006. In the UK, it has been offered to girls aged 12 or 13 since 2008. The program expanded to boys in 2019—not only to protect them from other HPV-triggered cancers affecting the mouth. anus. throat and penis. but also to reduce the chance they would pass the virus on to others.
In this study. Sasieni and his colleague Milena Falcaro—also at Queen Mary—found the clearest evidence yet that HPV vaccination prevents cervical-cancer-related deaths. not just infections and cancer incidence. Sasieni pointed to a key worry that vaccination could be mainly preventing cancers that screening would catch early and treat successfully. “But we know that the women who are least likely to get vaccinated are also the least likely to go for screening. ” he said. which raised the possibility that deaths prevented by vaccination might be the ones that screening would already have handled.
In England, the deaths data tell a different story. By monitoring cervical-cancer rates and deaths and looking at the period from 2020 to 2024—the most recent data available—Sasieni and Falcaro noticed that there were no deaths among women aged 20 to 24. Based on historical rates, around 23 deaths would have been expected.
Sasieni said the pattern stands out sharply. “As far back as I’ve seen data, there’s never been a year with none, and so five years in a row with no deaths is really quite something,” he said.
The likely driver is vaccination at ages 12 or 13. Researchers estimate that around 90 per cent of women in England aged 20 to 24 were vaccinated when they were 12 or 13. “This hugely encouraging news shows the life-saving impact of the HPV vaccine. and it’s incredibly exciting to be able to say to this whole generation: cervical cancer and some other cancers shouldn’t be a risk for you. ” said Caroline Temmink. director of vaccination for the National Health Service (NHS) in England.
Although the study focused only on cervical cancer, Temmink said the benefits extend beyond it. The vaccine also helps prevent other HPV-related cancers, and it should protect against warts on the skin and genital and anal areas in both sexes.
The picture isn’t completely flat for women just older than that. Sasieni and Falcaro noted that there were some deaths among women aged 25 to 29, but far fewer than would be expected. Altogether, they estimate around 200 lives have already been saved—and Sasieni cautioned this may understate what comes next. “The 200 which we’ve estimated in the paper is really just the tip of the iceberg. because it looks like there’s long-term protection against infection. ” he said. “In the future, 18,000 deaths might be a rough estimate of what we’re preventing so far.”.
Even so, the story carries a second, more urgent message. Worldwide, uptake of the HPV vaccine is low, and in the UK cervical cancer rates are still rising. Temmink’s NHS goal is ambitious: eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. “Alongside cervical screening, HPV vaccination is central to the NHS ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040,” she said.
Sasieni said the UK is facing a threat to momentum. “The bad news is that the vaccine uptake has fallen quite dramatically since covid,” he said. Because fewer teenagers are being vaccinated, death rates may rise later.
For now. the result in England offers a rare kind of public-health news—one measured not in targets or predicted trends. but in the absence of deaths. Temmink urged people to take up the offer when invited. “It’s a safe and effective vaccine and we urge everyone eligible to take up the offer when invited. ” she said.
HPV vaccine cervical cancer England NHS vaccination uptake Peter Sasieni Milena Falcaro cervical screening eliminate cervical cancer by 2040
So the vaccine works or what.
Zero deaths for 20-24?? That’s crazy. I feel like people don’t talk about this enough, but also it’s probably cause they’re just catching it earlier with screenings right?
My cousin got the HPV shot and now he says he can’t get sick or whatever. Like this article makes it sound like it’s basically magic. Also boys getting it in 2019… isn’t that kind of late? Seems like they should’ve done it way earlier.
I read part of this and it says “stunning” and “real triumph” so I’m assuming the government finally did something right. But then it also mentions screening? Like are they saying screening doesn’t matter anymore, or that the vaccine just replaces it? And why are they only looking at ages 20 to 24, what about everyone else? Just seems weird to pick one little bracket.