Teenage girl dies five days after receiving HPV vaccine jab
Shazel Zaman CREDIT: MEN
10 MAY 2016 • 2:32AM
Ateenage girl died hours after being sent home from hospital diagnosed with a stomach bug.
Shazel Zaman, 13, received a cervical cancer jab five days earlier after which she started vomiting and suffering from dizziness and a severe headache. As her symptoms got worse she was taken to Bury's Fairfield Hospital.
Doctors told the teenager's family that they believed she might have a stomach bug and told them to bring her back to hospital if her condition worsened, the Manchester Evening News reported. An hour later she was found unconscious with no pulse at her home in Bury. She was declared dead in hospital around four hours later.
Shazel's family claims that a doctor dismissed that her condition was linked to the HPV vaccine jab and said she "came across as a lazy child" before sending her home. Pennine Acute NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, has now launched an investigation into the standard of care Shazel received at the hospital.
Shazel’s family believe her death is linked directly to her having the vaccine.
Her sister, Maham Hussain, 19, told the Manchester Evening News: “She had the injection on the Wednesday. On Friday she was complaining of a sore arm - no swelling just redness.
“On the Saturday she complained of a severe headache, and by the evening she was throwing up. Come Sunday she was very pale, and my aunt took her to Fairfield.
“Whilst she was there she was in and out of consciousness. My aunt had to get a wheelchair for her.
“She had a blood test, and her heart rate checked, and everything was said to be normal.
“She was asked to provide a urine test and when my aunt took her to the toilet she fell to the floor, she was so drowsy.
"My aunt took her back to the doctor and that’s when the doctor made the comment that Shazel ‘came across as a lazy child’."
Shazel’s aunt, Saimah Naseem, who took her to Fairfield, said: “I was shocked. That was a horrible thing to say. One of the nurses also made the comment ‘she’s fine’.”
The teenager was given her second course of the HPV vaccine at Derby High School in Bury on April 13. She died on April 17.
Shahad's sister added: “I was at home when Shazel returned. She was in a really bad state. As soon as she came home my aunt put her to bed.
“My aunt gave her water so she wouldn’t dehydrate. My aunt and grandmother kept checking on her.
“An hour later she went blue. She had no pulse. The paramedics were here in seven minutes but she was not responding.
“At hospital it was just the machines that were keeping her alive.”
The family said that following her death she underwent a CT scan and then paid £670 for an MRI scan at Oldham Royal Hospital.
Both tests were inconclusive and an autopsy has now been carried out. Results will not be available for several months.
“The family strongly believe that there is a link between her death and the vaccination," Ms Hussain told the Manchester newspaper:
“Before that she was perfectly normal, and active. Our own GP was really shocked that she had passed away. The reason we are speaking out is to raise awareness of what might happen.
“I don’t think the hospital took her seriously. If they had done more tests they could have picked something up.”
In a letter to the child’s mother, Rob Barrow, Assistant Directorate Manager at Pennine Acute NHS Trust said: “In line with national and Trust policy, we will be undertaking an investigation looking at the care and treatment of your daughter whilst under the care of the Trust.”
He added: “I know there are questions you may wish to raise to be considered as part of the investigation.”
In a statement Gill Harris, Chief Nurse at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Our thoughts are with the family and we offer them our sincere condolences for their tragic loss. We have started a full clinical review to examine the circumstances surrounding Shazel Zaman’s death to understand what happened following her attendance at our A&E department in April. We intend to share the findings from our review with the family, with the Coroner’s office, as well as with our own staff.”
Deputy Bury Coroner, Lisa Hashmi has also commenced an investigation but will assess evidence before deciding whether to have a full inquest if she deems Shazel’s death "unnatural".