HPV Vaccine Linked to Significant Reduction in Cancer Deaths

WHO:

Fast Company - Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and Cancer Research UK conducted the study.

Al Jazeera - Michelle Mitchell is the chief executive of Cancer Research UK.

WHAT:

Fast Company - The HPV vaccine reduces the risk of dying from cervical cancer before age 30 to effectively zero for young women vaccinated in their early teens.

Fast Company - The HPV vaccine prevents around 90% of cervical cancer cases.

Fast Company - Approximately 200 cervical cancer deaths have been prevented in England due to the HPV vaccine.

Al Jazeera - The study found that no women aged 20 to 24 died from cervical cancer in the UK between 2020 and 2024, while 23 deaths would have been expected without the vaccine.

Al Jazeera - Between 2000 and 2004, 25 women aged 20 to 24 died of cervical cancer; 16 died between 2005 and 2009; 27 from 2010 to 2014; and five from 2015 to 2019.

Al Jazeera - HPV is estimated to cause about 620,000 new cancer cases in women and 70,000 in men worldwide in 2019.

Al Jazeera - Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally, with about 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths in 2022.

WHERE:

Fast Company - The study was conducted in the United Kingdom.

Al Jazeera - Cervical cancer deaths are particularly high in low and middle-income countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Central America, and Southeast Asia.

WHEN:

Al Jazeera - Routine vaccinations of teenage girls and boys in the UK began in 2008.

Al Jazeera - The study was published in The Lancet medical journal on a Wednesday.

Al Jazeera - In February, India launched a free nationwide HPV vaccination for 11.5 million girls aged 14.

Al Jazeera - In October 2025, China introduced the HPV vaccine to its national immunization program.

Al Jazeera - In September 2025, Pakistan launched its first-ever national HPV vaccine campaign.

WHY:

Fast Company - The World Health Organization aims to eliminate cervical cancer worldwide by vaccinating 90% of girls by age 15.

Al Jazeera - The HPV vaccine is effective at stopping cervical cancer before it starts.

HOW:

Fast Company - The HPV vaccine is administered best between ages 9 and 12, but older teens and people in their 20s are also encouraged to get vaccinated.

Al Jazeera - HPV is transmitted through sexual contact and can cause several cancers, including cervical cancer.

(UPDATED June 19, 2026 23:22 UTC)

A recent study from researchers at Queen Mary University of London and Cancer Research UK has revealed that the HPV vaccine effectively reduces the risk of dying from cervical cancer before age 30 to nearly zero for young women vaccinated in their early teens. The findings indicate that no women aged 20 to 24 died from cervical cancer in the UK between 2020 and 2024, a significant drop compared to the expected 23 deaths without the vaccine, and approximately 200 cervical cancer deaths have been prevented in England due to this vaccination. The World Health Organization aims to eliminate cervical cancer globally by vaccinating 90% of girls by age 15, highlighting the importance of routine vaccinations, which have been offered in the UK since 2008.