A landmark study published in The Lancet (June 2026) provides powerful new evidence that human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV) is saving lives, significantly reducing deaths from cervical cancer among young women.
Researchers analysed nationwide data in England from 2001 to 2024, examining mortality trends before and after the introduction of the HPV vaccination programme in 2008 for girls aged 12–13, alongside a catch-up campaign for older teenagers.
The findings highlight that among women aged 20–24, the first group routinely vaccinated at a young age, no cervical cancer deaths were recorded between 2020 and 2024. Based on earlier trends, more than 20 deaths would have been expected, indicating a 100% reduction in mortality. Strong declines were also observed in earlier and older cohorts. Mortality fell by around 80% among women aged 20–24 during 2015–2019, and by 69% in women aged 25–29 in the most recent years studied.
Overall, the vaccination programme is estimated to have prevented roughly 200 cervical cancer deaths in young women in England so far. This study provides some of the first robust, population-level confirmation that vaccination is directly reducing deaths. The strongest benefits were seen in those vaccinated at ages 12–13, before exposure to HPV. This group now has an extremely low risk of dying from cervical cancer before age 30, highlighting the importance of early vaccination.
The findings support global efforts to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health issue. High vaccination coverage, reaching up to 90% in England, has been key to the success seen so far.
In Ireland, the goal is to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. HPV vaccination and cervical cancer are working together to make this happen. Find out more about cervical cancer elimination here.