Imagine a cancer that used to claim lives now being utterly, completely wiped out in a specific age group. Not almost, not nearly. Zero. That's the headline out of England, where a new study in The Lancet just dropped a bombshell: between 2020 and 2024, not a single young woman aged 20-24 died from cervical cancer.
Let that satisfying number sink in. Before the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was rolled out to school-aged girls in 2008, about 23 deaths would have been expected in that five-year window. Now? Crickets. The kind of crickets you actually want to hear. Professor Peter Sasieni, lead researcher at Queen Mary University of London, called it "incredible," which feels like an understatement when you're talking about eliminating a cancer with a jab.
And it gets better. Kids vaccinated at 12 or 13 now face virtually no risk of dying from the disease before turning 30. That's a stark contrast to the 20 deaths per year in that age group before the vaccine. Overall, the HPV vaccine has already saved around 200 lives in England. Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying that we ever lived without it.
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While the vaccine is doing its quiet, life-saving work, not everyone got the memo in time. Alexandra Legg finished school just before the HPV jab became available. In 2021, at 30, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer while planning her wedding. "I remember hearing the words and I just couldn't really breathe very well," she recounted. Her treatment was intense, involving lymph node removal, but surgeons managed to save a small part of her cervix.
A year later, her daughter Ivy Marvella was born – Marvella, meaning "miracle." Alexandra is now, understandably, a fierce advocate for the vaccine. "When Ivy is old enough, she'll be first in the queue," she says. A sentiment that probably resonates with anyone who's ever faced down a cancer diagnosis.
Now, for the slightly raised eyebrow moment: despite these incredible results, vaccination rates in England are still below recommended levels. The UK aims to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2040, but only 76% of girls are vaccinated by age 15, well short of the WHO's 90% target. Because apparently, even when you have a literal cancer-killer, getting everyone on board can be a challenge.
Still, Professor Sasieni believes this reduction in deaths is just the "tip of the iceberg." As vaccinated generations age, he expects many more lives to be saved. And yes, women aged 25-64 still need their regular cervical screenings. Oh, and boys have been getting the HPV vaccine since 2019, protecting them from various other cancers and reducing the risk of passing the virus on. Because everyone deserves to avoid cancer, and no one wants to be the reason someone else gets it.
