New research from England reveals that no young women born after 1990 have died from cervical cancer, providing the first direct evidence that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine saves lives. The finding, reported by New Scientist, marks a stark contrast with previous decades when the disease killed dozens annually in this age group.
The study analyzed mortality data for women who received the HPV vaccine as adolescents, now in their late 20s and early 30s. While earlier research already showed the vaccine dramatically reduces infections and cancer cases, this is the first time death rates have been tracked to zero in a vaccinated population.
Before the vaccine's introduction in the UK in 2008, cervical cancer killed about 20 women under 30 each year in England. The new data shows that among women born since 1990—who were eligible for vaccination—there have been zero deaths from the disease in the years covered by the study.
The results offer powerful proof of the vaccine's long-term benefit, experts say. Widespread immunization programs could eventually eliminate cervical cancer as a public health threat, though older unvaccinated women remain at risk and screening remains essential.
Some caution that the data only covers a relatively recent period and small sample, but the trend is unmistakable. The study adds weight to global vaccination efforts, which have faced resistance in some regions.