Vaccine brings cervical cancer death of young women to zero in UK

In the UK, the death rate from cervical cancer among young women who received the vaccine has dropped to zero.

Nearly 200 women in the UK have been saved from cervical cancer thanks to the preventive vaccine. This information comes from a study published in the prestigious medical journal, The Lancet.

The country began administering the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to schoolgirls in 2008. The study revealed how much the death rate from cervical cancer has declined in the country since then.

According to the study's data, no deaths from cervical cancer were recorded among women aged 20-24 between 2020 and 2024. This is the first time in the last five years that the country has seen such a milestone.

Professor Peter Sasieni, the lead researcher from Queen Mary University of London, said, "It is astonishing to think that just one vaccine could almost completely eliminate this cancer."

The study also showed that for children who received the vaccine at age 12-13, the risk of dying from this disease before age 30 has now dropped to nearly zero.

Before the HPV vaccination program began, around 20 deaths in this age group were recorded annually.

According to a BBC report, cervical cancer is currently the 14th most common cancer among women in the UK, with about 3,300 women diagnosed each year.

The HPV virus, which spreads through skin-to-skin contact, is responsible for 99% of these cancers. While most HPV infections resolve on their own, some cause abnormal cell changes that can develop into cancer many years later.

Researchers expect that as vaccination coverage increases and the vaccinated women grow older, the number of deaths from this disease will continue to decline. Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, described it as an incredible milestone.

The organization's chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said, "We know the HPV vaccine is highly effective at preventing cervical cancer before it starts. Now, for the first time, research has proven that it is saving lives."

Professor Sasieni, a cancer specialist at Queen Mary University, stated that this reduction in deaths is just the beginning of the program's real benefits. However, he emphasized that vaccination efforts must continue to expand protection.

England's Department of Health and Social Care said the study proves the extraordinary impact of the HPV vaccine.

A department spokesperson said, "We are increasing vaccination rates to ensure young people get this life-saving benefit. As part of this, we are running catch-up vaccination programs for young people who missed out, through community pharmacies."

Source: BBC