New study: HPV vaccination helps prevent cervical cancer deaths

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A new study published in The Lancet offers some of the strongest real-world evidence to date that vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) is saving lives.

What you should know: Research conducted in England found that girls vaccinated against HPV at ages 12–13 had a near-zero risk of dying from cervical cancer before age 30. And women vaccinated at older ages also had fewer cervical cancer deaths than expected without vaccination.

Why it matters: HPV vaccination prevents the infections that cause nearly all cases of cervical cancer, making vaccination a critical intervention in combating this cancer. More than a decade of evidence demonstrates HPV vaccines are highly effective at preventing HPV infections, precancerous lesions and cervical cancer.

The research further shows:

HPV vaccination prevented approximately 200 cervical cancer deaths in England through 2024.
Among women ages 30–34, already well beyond the target age when they were vaccinated, HPV vaccination was associated with a 63% lower relative risk of death from cervical cancer than would have been expected without vaccination.

The bigger picture: Researchers say these findings indicate that eliminating cervical cancer is now an achievable goal. But that progress depends on maintaining timely and high vaccination rates with policies that support coverage and access to vaccines.

The bottom line: The new findings, drawing on population-level disease surveillance, show that HPV vaccination is changing what is possible in cancer prevention.

Policymakers should support policies that preserve access and help ensure families can get recommended vaccines without unnecessary barriers.

Learn more at PhRMA.org/Vaccines.

Carolyn Ha

Carolyn Ha, Pharm.D., is a Deputy Vice President in the Policy and Research Department at PhRMA, where she provides clinical expertise to shape policy development and advocacy related to population health and chronic disease management, improvement of medication use and clinical and quality management strategies. As a clinician, she is passionate about patient care and translating research into actionable policies that will ensure patients get the most out of their medications and creating a sustainable health care delivery system that incentivizes innovation. Carolyn received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Rutgers University and is a registered pharmacist in Virginia. Prior to joining PhRMA, she spent time as a practitioner in a community pharmacy and advocated on behalf of independent pharmacy owners. When she’s not working to improve the lives of patients through better use of medicines, Carolyn can be found spoiling her nephew & niece, exploring new restaurants, traveling and cheering on the New York Giants.

Carolyn Ha

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