[LondonChap]

A 14-year-old girl has died after being given a cervical cancer jab as part of a national immunisation programme, but the exact cause of death is unknown.

The pupil took ill at a school in Coventry shortly after she received the Cervarix vaccine. She was taken to hospital, where she died later.

The batch of the vaccine used has been quarantined by the local NHS.

The injection offers protection against a sexually transmitted disease, which is linked to most cervical cancers.

A routine programme of vaccinating 12- and 13-year-old girls started in September 2008 across the UK using the Cervarix vaccine made by GlaxoSmithKline.

The injection offers protection against the human papilloma virus (HPV), the most common cause of cervical cancer.

'Urgent investigation'

Dr Caron Grainger, joint director of public health for NHS Coventry and Coventry City Council, said their sympathies are with the girl's family and friends.

"The incident happened shortly after the girl had received her HPV vaccine in the school. No link can be made between the death and the vaccine until all the facts are known and a post-mortem takes place.

"We are conducting an urgent and full investigation into the events surrounding this tragedy."

A small number of girls at the school had also reported mild symptoms such as dizziness and nausea but they were not admitted to hospital.

It is thought around a million girls have already safely received the vaccine.



What a worry , so who wants to give their child the swine flu jab

[jintyb]

Postmortem results show that this tragic girl died of a chest tumour.

[weered]

[montyzuma]

but will people jump on it as an excuse to say the vaccine is dangerous?