A mother who claims her daughter suffered “horrendous adverse effects” after receiving the HPV vaccine against cervical cancer has brought legal proceedings.
Fiona Kirby, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, is a member of a parents support group, REGRET (Reaction and Effects of Gardasil Resulting in Extreme Trauma), for those who claim their teenage girls became ill after getting the vaccine.
Ms Kirby, a nurse, is seeking a High Court order for the withdrawal of the license given for the Gardasil HPV vaccine, currently being offered to the parents of 11-16 year old girls as a possible cervical cancer preventative.
An order restraining the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), which monitors health products in Ireland, proceeding with use of Gardasil in any vaccine programme is also sought.
The vaccine has been offered to teenage girls in Ireland since May 2010 as part of the schools vaccination programme and is recommended by the World Health Organsiation.
The REGRET group claims about 100 girls have allegedly reported illness after getting the vaccine.
In her proceedings, Ms Kirby claims, within 24 hours of receiving the vaccination in October 2011, her 11-year old daughter presented with severe flu like symptoms.
Those symptoms reappeared after her daughter got her second vaccine shot, she claims. Her daughter did not receive the third dose of the vaccine.
In an affidavit, Ms Kirby claims her daughter became extremely fatigued and suffered severe nausea which led to weight loss and muscle wastage. Her daughter also missed days at school, was hospitalised with bilateral pneumonia in March 2012 and was on antibitoics for six weeks.
Her daughter is now disabled to the point she needs to be cared for on a permanent basis, she claims.
Ms Kirby said her daughter suffered “horrendous adverse effects” directly after receiving the vaccine and she had thought her daughter’s problems were an isolated case. Other girls are also suffering “similar continuous life changing health problems” which, it is claimed, all happened shortly after they received the vaccine, she said.
Ms Kirby was accompanied in court by other women who are all members of the parents support group. The case was adjourned by Mr Justice Paul Gilligan for three weeks to allow the HPRA file a replying affidavit.
