Since the implementation of the HPV vaccine in 2008, a first-of-kind study to evaluate the efficacy of the vaccine programme was released on Friday 3^rd November via the Lancet.

The researchers, based at King’s College London, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS) found that the programme has prevented roughly 450 cervical cancer cases, and around 17,200 cases of pre-cancerous cell changes over an 11 year period.

The study highlighted that the vaccine had strong protective effects amongst all age ranges, reducing the incidence by the following:

• 34% if vaccinated aged 16-18
• 62% if vaccinated aged 14 to 16
• 90% if vaccinated aged 12-13

Professor Peter Sasieni, lead author from King’s College London, says:

It’s been incredible to see the impact of HPV vaccination, and now we can prove it prevented hundreds of women from developing cancer in England. We’ve known for many years that HPV vaccination is very effective in preventing particular strains of the virus, but to see the real-life impact of the vaccine has been truly rewarding.

Congratulations to Prof. Sasieni and his team at KCL, for their hard work and dedication to the study, and the ground-breaking insights from it. The CRUK-funded research study provides continued evidence into the importance of the work in this field, which Cancer Research UK are also a pivotal component of.