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Parents told cancer jab is safe after girl dies within hours
Anna Davis, Education Correspondent29 Sep 2009
Doctors today warned parents not to panic after a girl died within hours of being given the new cervical cancer vaccine at her school.
It comes after more than 2,000 reports of schoolgirls suffering adverse reactions to the cervical cancer jabs, with symptoms including loss of consciousness, swollen faces and anaphylactic shock.
Today health experts insisted the vaccine is safe and urged parents not to stop their daughters having it.
Laurence Buckman, chairman of the British Medical Association's GP Committee, said: “My message to parents is this is an extremely safe vaccine and they should vaccinate their children.”
The teenager, named locally as Natalie Morton, died yesterday after suffering a “rare but extreme” reaction to the jab.Health officials in Coventry, where 14-year-old Natalie died, have launched an investigation and the batch of Cervarix vaccine that was allocated to her school has been quarantined as a “precautionary measure”.
Post-mortem tests were being carried out today to see if there was a link between the vaccine and her death.
The Medicines and Healthcare Regulation Agency, which is investigating the case, has received 2,137 reports of adverse reactions and side effects from the vaccine. The reports contained 4,657 references to side effects.
A MHRA spokeswoman said: “After administering more than 1.4 million doses across the UK since last September, the balance of risks and benefits of Cervarix remains positive.”
Reactions includes 12 girls who lost consciousness, one who suffered anaphylactic shock and 222 who reported extreme pain on the jab site.
But Tessa Shewan, who had cervical cancer at the age of 24, urged people not to panic.
Now 25, the nursery worker from Croydon said: “This is a tragic death, but I hope people can take a step back and not refuse the vaccine. It can protect girls from a life threatening disease and we don't know the full details of this case yet.”
The Department of Health said: “The HPV vaccine has passed rigorous safety testing and has a strong safety record.”
Reader views (3)
There is no definite proof cervical cancer is even caused by this virus which is the first point, it is all testing on human beings. If you believe what the multi national drug companies tell you then you are all deserving of your fate, the WHO and the NHS are run by the drug companies and they are only interested in making money wake up they are making millions researching the vaccine and distributing it worldwide, then they tell you it is still safe after thousands of problems ask yourselves why.
My heart goes out to the parents for being so gullable read about vaccines on the internet they have been killing for years and so will the flu vaccine they are lying to us wake up please, get informed and if the answer to the motive is money then it does not have your best interests in question. The national health service should be the national death service they are murderers.
- Lisa Wickens, hull, 29/09/2009 19:23
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Almost nothing is totally safe. A few unfortunate people suffer serious, sometimes deadly, reactions to all sorts of things including nuts, shellfish, household cleaners, rubber gloves, hair dyes, medicines ... and vaccines.
The important thing to remember, is that this is very rare. Dying from the cancer, if you don't have the vaccine, is much more likely.
- Nigel, London, 29/09/2009 17:08
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hey im a 13 year old girl which was meant to get the vaccine today...but my mum has decided not to let me, 2 girls in my school have fainted after the vaccine! so to be honest my advice would be not to get it and get it after at your GP once they find out the cause of her death.
- Natalia, London, England, 29/09/2009 17:05
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