Exeter expert backs major evidence showing HPV vaccine prevents cancer

New evidence from the University of Exeter confirms that HPV vaccinations significantly reduce the risk of cervical cancer. 

This has prompted calls for improved uptake across Devon and the wider South West, where vaccination and screening rates remain among the lowest in the country. 

Two major Cochrane reviews, supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), bring together data from both clinical trials and real-world studies. 

The findings show clear and consistent evidence that HPV vaccines are highly effective in preventing cervical cancer and pre-cancerous changes, especially when given before the age of 16.

Girls vaccinated early were found to be 80 per cent less likely to develop cervical cancer compared with those who were unvaccinated. The reviews also reaffirm that the vaccines cause only minor, short-term side effects such as a sore arm.

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Although the research was conducted through Cochrane and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, the work has a strong Exeter connection. Senior author Dr Jo Morrison, a gynaecological oncology consultant, is also an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Exeter, where she is involved in related research on cervical screening. 

She said the evidence proves that early vaccination “can prevent cancer and save lives,” adding that vaccinating boys as well as girls will continue to increase community protection.

The scale of the new analysis is significant, combining more than 60 clinical trials involving over 157,000 participants with real-world evidence from 225 studies and more than 132 million people worldwide. 

While clinical trials cannot yet measure the full long-term effects (as HPV-related cancers can take decades to develop) they show vaccines such as Cervarix, Gardasil and Gardasil-9 effectively prevent the infections that lead to cancer. 

Observational data from countries that introduced vaccination earlier now shows a clear drop in cervical cancer cases, alongside substantial reductions in pre-cancerous cell changes and anogenital warts.

Researchers reported no evidence that HPV vaccines increase the risk of serious adverse events, a topic often discussed on social media. Cross-checking alleged side effects with population-level follow-up data revealed no link between vaccination and serious long-term health problems.

For the South West, the findings come at a pivotal time. NHS England data for the 2023/24 school year shows that 77.9 per cent of girls and 72.8 per cent of boys aged 14–15 in the region received the HPV vaccine by Year 10. 

However, public health officials believe large numbers of people aged 16–25 missed the jab at school. GP practices are now contacting unvaccinated young people as part of a national push to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.

Screening rates in the South West also remain lower than national averages, particularly among younger women. 

Dr Morrison said improving both vaccination and screening uptake is crucial. “HPV vaccination alone will not stop cervical cancer,” she said. “Screening remains essential, even for those who have been vaccinated.”

The Cochrane reviews were funded through a £100,000 NIHR Evidence Synthesis grant to the gynaecological cancer review group previously based at the Royal United Hospitals Bath. 

Ongoing collaborations with the World Health Organisation mean further updates are expected, including new evidence on single-dose vaccination schedules and long-term protection in boys.

While the researchers note that more work is needed in low- and middle-income countries (where cervical cancer rates are higher and screening programmes less accessible) they say the global direction of travel is clear. 

With robust evidence that HPV vaccination is safe and effective, health leaders hope the latest findings will encourage more young people in Devon and across the South West to take up the offer of both vaccination and routine cervical screening.