People who have a HPV vaccine could only need one smear test in their lifetime to help prevent cervical cancer, according to a leading scientist.

Women and people with a cervix are currently invited for screening every three to five years in the UK.

The academic director of King’s Clinical Trials Unit Professor Peter Sasieni said that the screening programme could soon change due to the encouraging results from the new HPV vaccine.

Back in December, research was published that showed the vaccine is cutting cervical cancer by nearly 90% in those who choose to have the jab.

Bournemouth Echo: HPV vaccines have been reducing cervical cancer by a significant margin (PA)HPV vaccines have been reducing cervical cancer by a significant margin (PA)

Sasieni told BBC Radio 4: “This is really exciting…. (The HPV vaccine) protects against even more types of the virus, and I think with that probably one screen would be enough, maybe two, over a lifetime.”

In the meantime, Cancer Research UK is still urging people to come forward for screening.

According to the BBC, nearly all cases of cervical cancer are caused by human papillomaviruses – known as HPV – and there are more than 100 types.

They can damage DNA and start to transform healthy cells into cancerous ones if there is a prolonged infection.

As the virus is spread by close skin-to-skin contact, the vaccine is ideally given before a person becomes sexually active.