By Hayley Robinson

Parents are being urged not to panic about the HPV vaccine following the death of a 14-year-old girl in Coventry.

NHS Medway says it is still encouraging girls to have the vaccine as preliminary tests on the teenager show she had an underlying condition and it is most unlikely that the HPV vaccine which protects girls against cervical cancer, was the cause of her death.

Since the programme began 1,427 12 to 13-year-olds and 1,111 17 to 18-year-olds have been immunised in Medway. There were no serious adverse reactions reported, and certainly no deaths.

Dr Alison Barnett, Director of Public Health for Medway, stressed the importance of the HPV vaccine in protecting young women against cervical cancer.

She said: "Nationally, more than 3,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year, and around 1,000 die from the disease.

"The Cervarix vaccine is 99 per cent effective against the two strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause more than 70 per cent of cases of cervical cancer.

"It is a lifesaving programme and it is important that girls continue to take advantage of the protection it offers against cancer."

Although the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency say the safety of the vaccine is not in question and no link can currently be made between the girl’s death and the vaccine, GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of the HPV vaccine Cervarixm, has voluntarily recalled the vaccination batch while further investigations into the girl’s death are conducted.

The national HPV vaccination programme will continue as there are no supply issues associated with Cervarix and new stock is readily available.

Prof Kent Woods, MHRA Chief Executive, said: "The reports of reaction to Cervarix have been relatively mild, including fever, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

"More than 3,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year and approximately 1,000 women die from it.

"This young girl’s death is an absolute tragedy and our condolences go out to her family and friends.

"We are working with the Department of Health and the vaccine manufacturer GSK, and we all wait now for the results of the investigation. As soon as more information is known, we will take the appropriate action as necessary."

If you are worried about the safety of any vaccine speak to a GP or healthcare professional to discuss your concerns, or visit http://www.immunisation.nhs.uk/