Young women have almost zero risk of cervical cancer death after HPV vaccine - study
Updated / Thursday, 18 Jun 2026 11:17
HPV vaccine is offered to children in their first year of secondary school in Ireland
Children who receive the HPV vaccine at age 12 to 13 have close to zero risk of dying from cervical cancer before the age of 30, a UK study has found.
The study, published in The Lancet medical journal, found that between 2020 and 2024, there were no deaths from cervical cancer in women aged 20 to 24 in England for the first time.
Without a vaccine, around 23 deaths would have been expected.
The study, funded by Cancer Research UK and led by Queen Mary University of London, also found that from 2015 to 2019 there was an 80% reduction in cervical cancer deaths among women aged 20-24.
The vaccine was introduced in England for girls in 2008 and for boys 2019.
In Ireland, it was introduced for girls in their first year of secondary school in 2010, and for boys in 2019.
In 2020, the World Health Organization set targets to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem, and asked every country to put measures in place to reach its 90-70-90 targets by 2030.
The aim is to have 90% of girls vaccinated against HPV by age 15, that 70% of women would be screened by aged 35 and again at 45 and that 90% of people identified with cervical disease would be treated.
In 2024, Ireland launched a Cervical Cancer Elimination Action Plan, which aims to achieve elimination by 2040.
HPV refers to a group of viruses which can be transmitted through sexual contact and cause no symptoms.
Around 13 high-risk types of HPV are known to cause 99.7% of cervical cancers.
The vaccine also protects against genital warts and head and neck cancers, such as those in the mouth or throat.
Professor Peter Sasieni, lead author from Queen Mary, said: "This is the first study to highlight the impact of HPV vaccination on cervical cancer mortality.
"We estimate that since its introduction, HPV vaccination has prevented nearly 200 young women from dying from cervical cancer in England.
"But that’s just the tip of the iceberg - as vaccinated generations grow older, we'll see many more lives saved from cervical cancer."
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