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source: Northwich Guardian
TEENAGE girls are having jabs against cervical cancer as normal this week after the death of a 14-year-old caused the vaccination programme to be delayed.
Parents across mid Cheshire were sent letters by Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust (CECPCT) on Thursday explaining that school HPV vaccination sessions were to be rescheduled following the death of Natalie Morton.
In the letter, Dr Heather Grimbaldeston, director of public health, said: “Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT took a precautionary decision on Tuesday, September 29, to reschedule this week’s school HPV vaccination sessions.
“We also followed Department of Health advice to quarantine all stocks of a specific batch of vaccine.”
Natalie died on Monday, September 28, after having the HPV1 Cervarix jab but a post mortem examination showed she had died of an undiagnosed malignant tumour.
Since the cervical cancer vaccination programme started in September 2008 more than 1.4million doses of Cervarix have been administered, with adverse reactions reported in only 0.15 per cent of girls.
Most of the adverse reactions are recognised side effects and there is no evidence that the vaccine has caused any serious conditions.
Dr Grimbaldeston said: “It is important that all girls should have the opportunity to be vaccinated against cervical cancer.
“Across the UK, more than 2,800 women develop cervical cancer every year and around 1,000 will die from this disease.
“Cervarix is a highly effective vaccine that gives long-lasting protection against several of the high-risk HPV types that cause cervical cancer.
“The balance of risks and benefits remains firmly in favour of vaccination.”
The vaccinations postponed at the end of last week have been rearranged and a CECPCT spokesman confirmed on Monday that sessions this week would go ahead as planned.
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