Cervical cancer can cause death but can be prevented with the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. A recent study in England has shown that the HPV vaccine in teenagers reduced the risk of death from cervical cancer by up to 100%. The results of this study were published in The Lancet in June 2026, and the main finding was that the children vaccinated at age 12–13 against HPV have almost zero risk of cervical cancer death before the age of 30 years. The National Health Service (NHS) in England has set an ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, and the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine suggests that elimination will be achieved much earlier than 2040.
Peter Sasieni and Michael Falcaro analysed population-based cervical cancer mortality data from England from 2001 to 2024 in women aged 20–34 years. HPV vaccination coverage by birth cohort was obtained from official reports and used to estimate the calendar year of death. In women aged 20–24 years between 2020 and 2024, mortality reduction was 100%. Vaccination coverage was around 88–90% when they were aged 12–13 years. Mortality reduction was observed in earlier age cohorts as well. In earlier birth cohorts, HPV vaccine coverage was around 63–87%, and mortality reductions were 80% in women aged 20–24 years in 2015–2019 and 69% in women aged 25–29 years in 2020–2024.
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Peter Sasieni, the lead researcher at Queen Mary University of London, stated: “It’s incredible to think that a single jab can almost eliminate a particular type of cancer.”
Cervical cancer occurs in the cells of the cervix, which connects the vagina (birth canal) to the upper part of the uterus. All women are at risk for cervical cancer, although women aged 30 years and older are most at risk. Chronic infection lasting years with certain types of HPV leads to cervical cancer. HPV is linked to 99% of cervical cancer, and this virus is transmitted through sexual contact. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends routine vaccination from age 11–12 years up to age 26 years. The World Health Organization recommendation for cervical cancer includes 90% of girls receiving the HPV vaccine by age 15 years by 2030. In England, the national HPV vaccination program offers routine vaccination for 12–13-year-old young women. GlobalData epidemiologists forecast that the diagnosed prevalent cases of cervical cancer in the UK will grow minimally from 11,400 cases in 2026 to 11,600 cases in 2030. The primary reason for low growth in cervical cancer cases is increasing awareness, access to screening, and the availability of the HPV vaccine. HPV vaccine uptake should be encouraged and made accessible to women.
