28/06/2026
For the first time in recorded history, England reported zero cervical cancer deaths among women aged 20 to 24.
A major analysis published in The Lancet found that between 2020 and 2024, no women in this age group died from cervical cancer in England — a remarkable milestone linked to the country’s HPV vaccination programme.
The HPV vaccine was introduced in England in 2008 for girls aged 12 to 13, before most would be exposed to the virus. That timing matters because human papillomavirus, or HPV, is responsible for nearly all cervical cancer cases.
Researchers estimate that England’s HPV vaccination programme has already prevented around 200 cervical cancer deaths, with many more lives expected to be saved as vaccinated generations grow older.
This is not just a vaccine success story. It is a public health success story.
But experts are warning against complacency. HPV vaccination rates have fallen below the level needed to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem. Cervical screening also remains essential, because vaccination and early detection work together to prevent disease and save lives.
The message is powerful: when science, prevention, and public health systems work together, a deadly cancer can be pushed toward elimination.
Source: Sasieni, P., & Falcaro, M. (2026). Cervical cancer mortality trends following HPV vaccination in England, 2001–24: an analysis of population-based mortality data. The Lancet.
