British girl dies after getting cervical cancer vaccine

Shelby Anderson
September 29, 2009
4:45 pm

A fourteen year old girl living in London died on Monday after getting the cervical cancer vaccine. The vaccine is supposed to protect the person from two strains of the human papilloma virus which causes cervical cancer. Within hours of getting the vaccination at her school, Natalie Morton, who showed no signs of being sick, died in a hospital close to the school. The authorities are unsure if the vaccine had anything to do with her death and will perform an autopsy. After this incident and several complaints from students of feeling sick, the health officials at the school quarantined the doses of vaccine that went unused at the school. This adds to the debate over whether these young girls should be given the vaccine. Health officials are recommending it at an earlier age because it has to be given before the girl is sexually active. With girls having sex at younger ages, they want to give the vaccine to 12 and 13 year olds. Some people argue that this is encouraging young girls to be sexually active.


I disagree with the fact that the vaccine shouldn’t be given out because of a girl’s age. Women have the right to want to protect themselves and their young daughters from a deadly disease. I don’t think it encourages a girl to have sex at an early age, but I do think it teaches them how to take care of their bodies and think about the repercussions of sex. It is very sad this girl died within hours of getting her vaccine and I would very much like to know if it was responsible for her death.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33070294/ns/health-kids_and_parenting