Legal News

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has revealed that 8,228 young girls who were given a routine HPV injection to protect them from developing cervical cancer have developed a debilitating illness, with some left having to use a wheelchair.

The Daily Mail reports that schoolgirls given the jab have developed symptoms which include chest and abdominal pains, exhaustion, breathing difficulties, fibromyalgia and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) – a condition where heart rate is elevated from a position of lying down to standing.

However, the MHRA has said there is no concern over the number of schoolgirls who have fallen ill after receiving the HPV vaccine – although the estimated figure of 8,228 is only thought to be around 10% of the true number of girls who have developed debilitating symptoms after being given the vaccine.

Girls are routinely vaccinated against the HPV virus at the age of 12 to 13 to give them lifelong protection against cervical cancer.

The figures relate to adverse events following vaccination during a ten-year period to April 2015.

In the 10 years up to April, the MHRA received 22,000 “spontaneous suspected” ADR reports in 13 routine immunisation categories, including flu jabs, MMR, tetanus, diphtheria and polio vaccinations.

Of the 8,228 ADR reports relating to the HPV virus, a total of 2,587 reports were classified as “serious” by the MHRA. A classification of “serious” can involve hospitalisation – or even that the patient's condition was life threatening.

The mother of 17-year-old Emily Ryalls said her daughter was met with “hostility and “ by doctors whenever she complained of the effects of the HPV jab.

Caron Ryalls, 49, from Ossett in West Yorkshire, said her daughter was finally diagnosed with POTS – but does not know when her health will return to normal. Emily received the vaccine as a 13-year-old and began to feel dizzy and nauseous just two weeks after the jab.

She says that two years after falling ill, she had turned from being sporty and an academic high achiever, to being able to manage just three to four hours of school a week.
Emily told The Independent newspaper:

“The symptoms grew increasingly worse after the second and third injections – and I went to A&E several times with severe chest and abdominal pains, as well as difficulty breathing.

“One time I couldn't move anything on one side of my body – I didn't know what was happening.”

The MHRA said:

“The reporting rate of suspected side effects which are not necessarily proven to be caused by the vaccine is influenced by many factors – and expected to differ across vaccines.
“The greater number of reports for HPV vaccine does not necessarily mean that it is any less safe than other vaccines.

“The vast majority of suspected side effect reports for HPV vaccine relate to known risks of vaccination that are well-described in the available product information.

“MHRA has no concerns over the total number of reports for the HPV vaccine – and the expected benefits in preventing illness and death from HPV infection outweigh the known risks.
“Reports of POTS following HPV vaccine remain under review by EU regulators.

“POTS can occur naturally in adolescent girls and – at present – there is insufficient evidence to indicate that the vaccine is a cause.

“This will remain under review.”

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors – No win no fee Medical Negligence Claims

Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of no win no fee personal injury solicitors, able to advise those who have been injured as a result of medical negligence on how to make a compensation claim, including claims relating to:

• A&E negligence
• Anaesthetic errors
• Birth injuries (mother and baby)
• Brain injury
• Breast implant claims
• Cosmetic surgery claims
• Dental negligence claims
• Electrolysis claims
• Fatal injury claims
• Hip replacement claims
• Hospital-acquired infections
• Laser eye surgery claims
• Nerve damage claims
• Organ damage claims
• Prescribing errors
• Retained surgical instruments
• Surgical errors.


Personal injury claims have to be made within three years of injury or diagnosis of injury – and children can claim compensation for medical negligence up to the age of 21.

For expert legal advice on no win no fee Medical Negligence Claims, call Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors on 020 7923 4020.