Cancer vaccine “most unlikely” cause of Natalie’s death: Officials

However, the health officials said that the dose was “most unlikely” to have caused her death.

Cervarix is a vaccine designed to protect against human papillomavirus (HPV) -- a sexually transmitted disease that causes more than 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.

Natalie’s initial post-mortem reports also suggested that she had a ‘serious underlying health condition’, therefore it was ‘unlikely’ that the vaccine had caused her death, said Dr. Caron Grainger, joint director of public health for National Health Service (NHS) Coventry and Coventry City Council.

Grainger added, "We are awaiting further test results which will take some time. However indications are that it was most unlikely that the HPV vaccination was the cause of death."

Officials insist vaccine jab is ‘safe’
Many health trusts in Britain have cancelled the vaccinations due over the next few weeks suspecting that the dose given to Natalie might have come from the current vaccine stocks.

Therefore, as a precautionary measure, the Department of Health has ordered an examination into the current batch of the vaccine. However, it insisted that the vaccination programme shouldn’t be stopped.

"No link can be made between the death and the vaccine until all the facts are known. Results of tests on the batch of vaccine will be announced as soon as they are known," said a department spokesman.

"The HPV vaccination programme can continue as planned - there is no reason for the campaign to be suspended or interrupted."

The ministers of the city have also refused to suspend the vaccination programme saying that it’s safe for the school girls.

Gillian Merron, Public Health Minister, said, "We hope that girls continue to protect themselves against cervical cancer by having this vaccine."

Cause of Natalie’s death still unknown
It is still uncertain whether Natalie’s own condition was to be blamed or whether a reaction to the vaccine caused her death.

The Department of Health is closely working with the NHS authorities to investigate into Natalie’s sudden death.

The schoolgirl fell ill on Monday after being vaccinated against HPV, under a national cancer immunisation campaign and was immediately rushed to the hospital.

A small number of other girls at the school also reported suffering from dizziness and nausea after receiving the jab, but they were not admitted to hospital.

GlaxoSmithCline, the vaccine manufacturer, has reported that more than 1.4 million doses have been distributed as part of the vaccination programme that began in September 2008 in Britain, where cervical cancer kills more than 1000 women each year.