Cervical cancer deaths drop to zero for young women in England after vaccine rollout

• The HPV vaccine has saved an estimated 200 lives from cervical cancer in England, with this figure projected to rise significantly as more people receive the jab.
• A study by Queen Mary University of London and funded by Cancer Research UK revealed that England recorded no cervical cancer deaths among women aged 20 to 24 between 2020 and 2024, a historic first, with an 80 per cent reduction in deaths for this age group from 2015-19.
• Research published in The Lancet indicates that children vaccinated at 12-13 years old face a near-zero risk of dying from cervical cancer before turning 30.
• Despite the vaccine's success, experts are concerned about falling vaccination rates, with 71.7 per cent of Year 8 girls and 67 per cent of Year 8 boys vaccinated in 2024-2025, below the World Health Organisation's 90 per cent target.
• Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK urged parents to ensure their children receive the HPV vaccine and called for “targeted action to reach communities where uptake is the lowest.”

IN FULL

Cervical cancer deaths in young women fall to zero for first time after vaccine introduced