Cancer

Study: HPV Vaccine Prevents Cervical Cancer Deaths

Is the HPV vaccine enough to end cervical cancer or do we still need screening to save lives?

Published JUN 18

Study: HPV Vaccine Prevents Cervical Cancer Deaths

Story

Above: A person holds a cervical cancer prevention placard in the lobby of the Scottish Parliament on Jan. 26, 2023. Image credit: Ken Jack/Getty Images

The Facts

According to a study published in The Lancet and funded by Cancer Research U.K. on Wednesday, the HPV vaccine has prevented nearly 200 deaths from cervical cancer among young women in England since the program launched in 2008.
The Lancet
BBC News
The Sun
For the first time on record, no women aged 20 to 24 died from cervical cancer in England between 2020 and 2024. Based on historical rates, around 23 deaths would have been expected in that period.
New Scientist
BBC News
The Queen Mary University of London-led study found an 80% reduction in cervical cancer deaths among women aged 20 to 24 from 2015 to 2019, and estimates that girls vaccinated at ages 12 to 13 have close to zero risk of dying from the disease before age 30.
The Lancet
ITV
The Times (UK)
The HPV vaccine has been offered to girls aged 12 to 13 in England since 2008 and to boys of the same age since 2019. The jab also protects against cancers of the mouth, throat, anus and penis, as well as genital warts.
Guardian
The Sun
Vaccination rates in England have fallen below the World Health Organization's 90% target. In 2024-25, 76% of girls were vaccinated by age 15, and uptake in London stood at around 60%.
Guardian
BBC News
The Times (UK)
Cancer Research U.K. warned that declining vaccine uptake could result in 15 to 25 additional avoidable deaths per year among young women. The U.K. government has pledged to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2040.
Guardian
Doctors.net.uk

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

No young women in England have died of cervical cancer in years, and that's a direct result of the HPV vaccine working as promised. Evidence shows vaccination slashes cervical cancer risk by at least 80%, especially when given before adolescence. This is one of the only cancers humanity can actually prevent, and getting vaccinated is the most powerful step anyone can take.

By the Numbers

Aproko Doctor Global on X

Dirk Bruere on X

Narrative B

Cervical cancer rates were already declining before the 2008 rollout due to screening, improved diagnostics, and lifestyle changes — making it difficult to attribute zero deaths in young women solely to vaccination. The vaccine covers only some high-risk strains, efficacy claims rest on surrogate endpoints, and serious adverse events may be systematically underreported. In countries with robust screening, the case for routine adolescent vaccination deserves far more scrutiny.

Children’s Health Defense

Brownstone Institute