The HPV vaccine has almost completely wiped out infections in young women, and if expanded to men could prevent thousands of cancer cases in Britain each year, new figures suggest.

New figures from Public Health England show that the rate of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in women aged between 16 to 21 who were vaccinated between 2010 and 2016 has fallen by 86 per cent.

More than 3,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and more than 800 will die from the disease, with most cases caused by the HPV virus.

The vaccination is also expected to be extended to boys after the government’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) changed its advice showing the jab is cost-effective.

HPV causes around 2,000 cases of cancer in men each year and around 650 deaths, mainly from throat cancer. Men with the condition also risk passing it on to partners.

Professor Christopher Nutting, Consultant oncologist at The Royal Marsden Hospital in London said: “Implementation of the HPV vaccination program will save thousands of lives, and the addition of boys to the vaccination program is especially welcome.

“Almost all cervical cancer is HPV related so almost all of these cases are avoidable.