Schoolgirl, 12, paralysed after receiving cervical cancer jab

-Telegraph

12/15/2008- A 12-year-old girl has become paralysed from the waist down after being injected with the cervical cancer vaccine, raising concerns about possible side-effects of the jab.

Ashleigh Cave suffered headaches and dizziness minutes after receiving the injection, and has spent the last eight weeks in hospital having lost the strength in her legs.

Her mother Cheryl believes that her daughter's mystery illness is directly related to the vaccine, which is being administered to 300,000 12 and 13 year old girls in Britain in an effort to cut down on rates of the fatal disease.

Several girls in the US have been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, which can cause paralysis, after being vaccinated by a similar product, Gardasil.

But doctors have ruled that Ashleigh's condition is not connected to the vaccination, and health experts have insisted that the vaccine is safe.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the government agency responsible for monitoring drugs, said: "Guillain-Barré syndrome naturally occurs in the population. There is no good evidence to suggest that the Cervarix vaccine can cause [it]."

Ashleigh, from Aintree in Merseyside, collapsed several times in the days after receiving the vaccination at Maricourt Catholic high school on October 15. She was initially diagnosed with "vertigo and generalised myalgia, probably due to recent vaccinations" by doctors at Frimley Park hospital in Surrey before being admitted to Alder Hey hospital on Oct 22, where she has remained ever since.

There has reportedly been no improvement in her condition.

Mrs Cave, 37, said that she is sceptical of doctors' claims that the onset of her daughter's illness was unrelated to the vaccine.

"At first they tried to tell us she was imagining it because she was being bullied," she said. "They will not mention her illness and the vaccine in the same sentence."

The vaccination counters the effects of the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is transmitted through sexual contact. HPV is held responsible for around 70 per cent of all cases of cervical cancer, which kills more than 1,000 women in the UK each year.

It is hoped that the government-funded vaccination programme will save 400 lives a year. A catch-up programme will focus on girls aged 14 to 18 over the next two years.

If you or a loved one have experienced serious side effects as a result of the Gardasil HPV vaccination such as blood clots, paralysis, seizures, or other Gardasil side effects, you may be entitled to compensation. Pregnant women who suffered a miscarriage or fetal abnormalities following the administration of Gardasil, should contact one of our Gardasil side effect lawyers in order to protect your rights. For more information about a potential Gardasil lawsuit, or Gardasil side effects, fill out our free case evaluation form or call the toll-free number listed below today.