Cervical cancer vaccine success

An NHS vaccination programme to prevent cervical cancer has been hailed as a success – stopping hundreds of women from developing the disease, a study has found.

The research – which also found the vaccine prevented thousands of women from experiencing pre-cancerous changes to cells – is the first proof that the programme is working to save lives.

The Cancer Research UKfunded study found that cervical cancer rates in women offered the vaccine between the ages of 12 and 13 – who are now in their 20s – were 87% lower than in an unvaccinated population.

There were also reductions in cervical cancer rates of 62% in women offered vaccination between the ages of 14 and 16, and 34% in women aged 16 to 18 when vaccination was introduced.

Experts looked at data from the Cervarix vaccine, which was given to girls on the NHS from 2008 to September 2012.

A different vaccine, Gardasil, is now used for the programme.

Cancer Research UK said the findings were better than expected and that cervical cancer could become a rare disease thanks to vaccines combined with screening.

Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell said: "Results like this show the power of science.

"It's a historic moment to see the first study showing that the HPV vaccine has and will continue to protect thousands of women from developing cervical cancer."

The study looked in detail at cancer registry data between January 2006 and June 2019 for seven groups of women who were between the ages of 20 and 64 at the end of 2019.