Key facts
- Cervical cancer deaths among women aged 20-24 in England have fallen to zero between 2020 and 2024.
- This is the first time no deaths have been recorded in this age group over a five-year period.
- The HPV vaccine, introduced in 2008, is credited with saving approximately 200 lives in England.
- Vaccinated individuals now have a near-zero risk of dying from cervical cancer before age 30.
- Vaccination rates in England have fallen below the 90% target recommended by the WHO for cervical cancer elimination.
Cervical cancer deaths among young women in England have fallen to zero, a significant milestone attributed to the widespread uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Analysis published in The Lancet indicates that approximately 200 lives have been saved in England since the vaccine was introduced in 2008.
For the first time, no deaths from cervical cancer were recorded in women aged 20 to 24 between 2020 and 2024. Without vaccination, around 23 deaths would have been expected in this age group over the same period. Professor Peter Sasieni, lead researcher at Queen Mary University of London, described the findings as "incredible" and noted that vaccinated individuals now have a near-zero risk of dying from the disease before the age of 30.
Prior to the vaccination campaign, around 20 deaths annually occurred in this younger demographic. While cervical cancer remains the 14th most common cancer among females in the UK, with 3,300 diagnoses each year, the report's authors anticipate further reductions in mortality as more people receive the HPV jab and vaccinated generations age.
Cancer Research UK hailed the findings as an "incredible milestone" but raised concerns about declining vaccination rates in England, which have fallen below the 90% threshold recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating cervical cancer. Data from the UK Health Security Agency shows that only 76% of girls in England were vaccinated by age 15 in the 2024-25 period.
Alexandra Legg, a cervical cancer survivor diagnosed at age 30, shared her experience and urged eligible individuals to get vaccinated, stating her life could have been less traumatic if she had received the HPV jab. She emphasized the importance of maintaining high vaccination levels to save more lives.
The UK government has pledged to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2040. In response to falling uptake, the Department of Health and Social Care is boosting vaccination campaigns through community pharmacies and promoting cervical screening, including sending HPV self-testing kits to women who have not yet attended screening. Boys have also been vaccinated against HPV since 2019, protecting them against other cancers and reducing virus transmission.