Hours after taking what appeared to be a routine shot of Cervarix vaccine at her school, 14-year-old girl Natalie Morton died
Hours after taking what appeared to be a routine shot of Cervarix
vaccine at her school, 14-year-old girl Natalie Morton died, leaving
health authorities to puzzle over what exactly caused her death.
Natalie was apparently healthy and did not have any underlying
condition. Authorities at the Coventry City Council will carry out an
autopsy to determine the cause of death. School principal, Julie
Roberts said that some other girls also reported feeling unwell and had
to be sent home.
"As with any medical intervention ... one can, on rare occasions, see
tragic consequences," said Professor Malcolm McCrae, virologist at the
University of Warwick. "But overall this is an extremely well tested
vaccine which has been produced in response to a critical health issue
— cervical cancer — a disease responsible for almost 1,000 deaths
annually in the UK."
This is the first time that the vaccine has been linked to a death. No
concerns have been raised either in Europe of America where the jab is
routinely administered to girls.
RAS