Professor Nicola Stonehouse discusses the HPV vaccine for ITV calendar news
A mother from Grantham says a vaccine designed to prevent her daughter getting cervical cancer has led to the teenager developing a neurological condition.
The HPV - or Human Papilloma virus - vaccine is given to girls when they are in year eight at school. The NHS says it saves hundreds of lives each year. Georgina Howdie had the injection when she was 12. Since then, her mother says her health has deteriorated, something she puts down to the vaccine.
These side effects are currently being reviewed by the European Medical Agency, a two sided debate from experts in the field of Virology as to whether the adverse effects are a result of the vaccine or more commonly occuring in girls of that age group.
Cancer research UK argue that the vaccine has been rigerously tested, saves thousands of lives, with the benefits far outwaying the possibility of risk. Professor Stonehouse is of the opinion that “you will always get a case where somebody has a bad reaction. Just statistically because you are dealing with large numbers of people, there will always possibly be something that happens.” Although symptoms have occured after having the vaccine there is currently no scientific evidence to suggest that the vaccine has any links to neurological conditions or adverse effects, further findings and clarifcation is expected upon completion of the European Medical Agency review.
