Side Effects from Cervical Cancer Vaccine in Valencia Spain

Some cervical cancer vaccines were withdrawn following the side effects suffered by two 14-year old girls in Valencia Spain. One of the girls was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital Clínico in the city. The other girl was admitted to a normal ward. Both suffered from convulsions and other complications. Later a third a girl was placed in intensive care having suffered from convulsions.
According to Typically Spanish

The health monitoring system, El Sistema Español de Farmacovigilancia, registered as many as 45 cases of bad reactions to the cervical cancer vaccine, while sources at the Ministry for Health put the number at only five.

Today Typically Spanish reports that:

One of the two 14 year old girls from Valencia who was admitted hospital 19 days ago after a side effect reaction to the cervical cancer vaccine earlier this month has had to return to the UCI, Intensive Care Unit. She is said to be in a serious but stable condition, while the second girl remains on the general ward and is making good progress. The two girls received their jabs on the 4th and 6th of February in health centres in Burjassot and Valencia. The Gardasil vaccine, lot NH52670, resulted in them both suffering from convulsions and losing consciousness for a time. After withdrawing the lot concerned, the Valencia regional health authority has once again started the VPH vaccine campaign.

The Ministry for Health says that since Gardasil was approved in Europe in October 2006, more than 1.14 million doses have been distributed in Spain.

Hysterical Reaction to Ireland's rejection of Lisbon Treaty begins to die down

Over the weekend there has been a hysterical reaction amongst some Irish, German and French politicians and media organs to Ireland's No vote in the Lisbon Treaty referendum. However today the reaction of EU Foreign Ministers-in Luxembourg-to Micheal Martin was conciliatory. There was no finger pointing. Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb and Britain's David Miliband were particularly helpful.

Quite frankly I cannot understand what all the panic is about. The Dutch and French voted No in an EU referendum. Were those countries ostracised? Of course not.

Ireland needs cast iron guarantees on several issues such as Corporation Profits Tax, Neutrality, Social Issues and the loss of a Commissioner. It is essential that the 12.5% Tax rate is safeguarded. Otherwise the country will become an industrial desert. It is pointless being good Europeans if we sell out on these issues.

Watertight guarantees on Neutrality and Social Issues should not be beyond the bounds of diplomatic ingenuity.

The office of Junior Commissioner could be created for countries losing a Commissioner.

Greater understanding from the EU on Ireland difficulties in the fields of agriculture and fishing would generate goodwill in rural communities and help seal the deal.

It is time for solutions.