3 min read
Key Points
A new study showed that there were zero cervical cancer deaths in women between the ages of 20 to 24 where 90 percent had been vaccinated against HPV.Experts say that the latest data proves just how effective the vaccine is against cancer-causing strains of HPV.Even though the HPV vaccine is most effective when given between the ages of 11 and 13, it is FDA-approved up to age 45.
Cervical cancer was once a leading cause of cancer death for women in the U.S. But the introduction of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has rapidly driven down cervical cancer diagnoses. Now, new research on the impact of the HPV vaccine has impressive findings, suggesting that vaccinated women younger than 30 have a nearly zero chance of dying from cervical cancer.
The findings, which were published in The Lancet, are the first of their kind and show that cervical cancer deaths have plummeted since the HPV vaccine was first offered in England in 2008.
“This is wonderful news,” says Anna R. Giuliano, PhD, cancer epidemiologist and founding director of the Center for Immunization and Infection Research in Cancer at Moffitt Cancer Center. Here’s what the study found, plus why doctors recommend getting the HPV vaccine if you haven’t already.
Meet the experts: Jennifer Wider, MD, a women’s health expert and co-host of the Open Wider podcast; Anna R. Giuliano, PhD, cancer epidemiologist and founding director of the Center for Immunization and Infection Research in Cancer at Moffitt Cancer Center; Kathryn Marko, MD, ob-gyn at The GW Medical Faculty Associates and an assistant professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at The George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences
What did the study find?
For the study, researchers analyzed cervical cancer mortality data in England between 2001 and 2024 in women aged 20–24, 25–29, and 30–34. The researchers also tracked down HPV vaccine data by group. (While this study was conducted using data from England, both England and the U.S. currently use the Gardasil 9 HPV vaccine.)
Researchers found that there were no cervical cancer deaths in women between the ages of 20 to 24 between 2020 and 2024, where up to 90 percent of the group had been vaccinated against HPV at ages 12 to 13.
The older groups had slightly different data. These women were offered the HPV vaccine up to age 18, and up to 87 percent of women got the vaccine. Researchers found that cervical cancer deaths dropped 100 percent in women aged 25 to 29 as well, and 63 percent in those aged 30 to 34.
“Our findings provide the first robust national-level evidence, albeit observational, that high HPV vaccination coverage is associated with a substantial reduction in cervical cancer deaths,” the researchers wrote.
Why is this so important?
At baseline, doctors stress that the findings show that the HPV vaccine works. “It is effective at protecting against the strains of HPV that are most commonly associated with cervical cancers,” says Kathryn Marko, MD, ob-gyn at The GW Medical Faculty Associates and an assistant professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at The George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. “It also tells us that robust, universal vaccination programs work.”
Giuliano points out that there’s been a “dramatic reduction” in the number of cervical cancer cases since the HPV vaccine was introduced. “But to actually see the deaths go to zero is phenomenal,” she says.
HPV is “extremely prevalent” and is also the most common cause of cervical cancer, says Jennifer Wider, MD, a women’s health expert and co-host of the Open Wider podcast. “Not all cases of HPV will lead to cancer, but of those that do, getting the vaccine will prevent [nearly] all cases of cancer in people 20 to 24,” she says.
Cervical cancer and cervical dysplasia (pre-cancer) can have a big impact on health, Dr. Marko says, since these treatments can sometimes lead to infertility, subfertility, pregnancy complications, and sexual problems. Not to mention, untreated disease progression can be life-threatening. “Any additional data that supports HPV vaccination may lead to more vaccine acceptance and better outcomes at an individual and population level.”
Can you get the HPV vaccine as an adult?
When the HPV vaccine first debuted in the US in 2006, it was only recommended for women up to age 26. The current vaccine, Gardasil 9, can be given to adults up to age 45, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“It doesn’t matter if you’ve already been exposed,” Giuliano says. “Nobody has had all the types that the vaccine protects against.” But Dr. Marko stresses that the best time to get the HPV vaccine is between ages 11 and 12 for girls and boys.
“The big takeaway from this is that the HPV vaccine is effective at preventing cervical dysplasia and cancer,” Dr. Marko says. “While the vaccine does not get rid of the need for routine screening, our hope is that the screening is indeed routine and normal because of the vaccine.”
Carina Hsieh, MPH, is the deputy features editor of Women’s Health. She has more than a decade’s worth of experience working in media and has covered everything from beauty, fashion, travel, lifestyle, pets, to health.
She began her career as an intern in the fashion closet at Cosmopolitan where she worked her way up to Senior Sex & Relationships Editor. While covering women’s health there, she discovered her passion for health service journalism and took a break to get her Masters in Public Health. Post-grad school, she worked as a freelance writer and as The Daily Beast’s first Beauty, Health, and Wellness Reporter.
Carina is an alum of the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Yale School of Public Health. She and her French Bulldog, Bao Bao, split their time between Brooklyn and Connecticut. She enjoys reformer Pilates, (slow) running, and smelling the fancy toiletries in boutique fitness class locker rooms.