Overview
- A Lancet analysis published Thursday found zero recorded cervical cancer deaths among women aged 20–24 in England between 2020 and 2024 and estimated about 200 lives were saved in that period.
- The study reports that girls vaccinated at ages 12–13 now face a near‑zero risk of dying from cervical cancer before age 30 and notes an earlier 80% fall in deaths for 2015–2019 in the same age group.
- HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical and other cancers, and vaccination prevents the infections and precancerous changes that lead to cancer and death.
- England introduced routine HPV shots for girls in 2008 and extended the programme to boys in 2019, with pre‑pandemic uptake often 80–90%, while German data from autumn 2024 show much lower coverage at about 55% of girls and 42% of boys.
- Public‑health groups say the findings show vaccination plus screening can greatly cut deaths, but gaps in vaccine uptake mean other countries may not yet see the same impact and should boost coverage to sustain gains.