BMJ

Early HPV vaccination tied to sustained reduction in invasive cervical cancer risk

February 27, 2026

A nationwide Swedish cohort study following more than 926,000 girls and women for up to 18 years found durable reductions in invasive cervical cancer after quadrivalent HPV vaccination, with no evidence of waning protection. Those vaccinated before age 17 had an incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 0.21 compared with unvaccinated peers, with similarly low IRRs observed 13 to 15 years post-vaccination. Individuals vaccinated at ≥17 years also showed reduced risk over time, though effects appeared later. At the population level, the school-based cohort had a 72% lower cervical cancer incidence than the earliest opportunistic cohort.

Clinical takeaway: Prioritize HPV vaccination at younger ages and leverage school or routine immunization programs to achieve the greatest long‑term reduction in cervical cancer risk.

Source:

Wu S, et al. (2026, February 25). BMJ. Extended follow-up of invasive cervical cancer risk after quadrivalent HPV vaccination: nationwide, register based study. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2025-087326