HPV jabs are saving lives. Now it’s down to us.

For the first time, researchers have shown that the HPV vaccine is not only preventing cervical cancer, but saving lives.

The findings, published in The Lancet, mark a significant milestone in the fight against one of the most preventable cancers. But while the results are incredibly encouraging, they also highlight the importance of continuing to attend cervical screening when invited.

Dr Lucy Joslin, GP and Women’s Health Lead, explains what the research means, why the HPV vaccine has been such a success, and why cervical screening remains just as important.

For the first time, scientists have proof that the HPV vaccine isn’t just stopping cervical cancer before it starts, it’s saving lives.

New research published in The Lancet, led by Queen Mary University of London and funded by Cancer Research UK, found that the HPV vaccine has prevented around 200 cervical cancer deaths in England so far, with the number of lives saved expected to rise as vaccinated generations grow older.

Most strikingly, between 2020 and 2024, no women in their early twenties died from cervical cancer in England for the first time on record.

That milestone is being put down almost entirely to the vaccine. Around nine in ten women in this age group had received the HPV jab, most when they were 12 or 13, the age at which it offers the strongest protection. Researchers now estimate that, for children vaccinated at this age, the risk of dying from cervical cancer before the age of 30 is close to zero.

Cancer Research UK's chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, called the findings a turning point. She described it as an incredible milestone and major progress in the charity's mission to beat cancer, adding that the results are the strongest evidence yet that vaccination is not only preventing the disease but actively saving lives.

The study's lead researcher, Professor Peter Sasieni, was equally clear that this is only the beginning. He said that as vaccinated generations grow older, many more lives will be saved from cervical cancer, and that it is remarkable a single jab can almost eliminate a particular type of cancer.

The research shows what is possible when vaccine uptake is high. The challenge now is making sure future generations benefit in the same way. Across the UK, fewer young people are coming forward for the HPV vaccine, with coverage by age 15 falling below the level needed to eliminate cervical cancer altogether in both girls and boys.

A school-based HPV vaccination programme has been running across the UK and the Bailiwick since 2008, originally for girls aged 12 to 13, before being extended to eligible boys in 2019, with catch-up doses available for free through GPs up to the age of 25.

While the HPV vaccine offers excellent protection, it doesn’t protect against every high-risk strain of HPV. That’s why we continue to encourage everyone to attend cervical screening when invited, even if they received the vaccine as teenagers.

Across the Bailiwick, free cervical screening is offered to all women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 65 years. The test takes around fifteen minutes and checks for HPV in the cervix, helping to identify early abnormalities before they can develop into cancer.

Our screening uptake has been improving but still falls short of where we want it to be. Recent figures put attendance at roughly three-quarters of those eligible in the 25-to-49 age bracket and around four in five of those aged 50 to 64. This is encouraging progress, but still below the 80 per cent target the States of Guernsey Public Health team has set for both groups. Public Health has previously noted that a large proportion of people who go on to develop cervical cancer locally had either never been screened or had not attended regularly.

Diane Mathews, Strategic Lead for Screening at the States of Guernsey, has described cervical cancer as both preventable and curable, saying that screening, combined with the vaccination programme and effective treatment, is what will ultimately make the disease a thing of the past in the Bailiwick.

As a GP, I am always keen reassure anyone who feels anxious about attending. Nervousness or embarrassment is recognised as one of the biggest reasons people put off their appointment, and islanders are encouraged to speak to their surgery, Choices or The Orchard Centre beforehand if they have questions and to see what can be done to make their appointment more comfortable, or to bring someone along for support.

For me, this research is incredibly encouraging. It shows that the HPV vaccine is doing exactly what scientists hoped it would, and we now have the evidence to show it is saving lives. But it also reminds us that vaccination and cervical screening work hand in hand. By continuing to encourage both, we have a real opportunity to make cervical cancer increasingly rare for future generations.

It’s completely normal to feel a bit nervous about your cervical screening. If there’s anything you’re worried about, please give us a call. We’d much rather answer your questions than have you miss your screening.