Health chiefs were insisting today that a cervical cancer vaccine was safe after a 14-year-old who died shortly after being given the jab was found to have had an underlying medical condition.

But a Shropshire family was among worried parents calling for an urgent review of the vaccine.

Paige Brennan, 13, of The Rock, Telford, is still being treated in Birmingham Children’s Hospital after being struck down in March with encephalitis, a rare brain virus, a week after having the jab.

A solicitor representing families, including Paige’s, said they didn’t want to scaremonger but there were concerns about the number of cases where girls had fallen ill after receiving the vaccine.

It was revealed today that preliminary post-mortem examination findings on Natalie Morton did not completely rule out the possibility of a link between her death and the injection.

While the NHS said it was “most unlikely” the HPV vaccination caused her death, questions remained about the nature of her medical condition.

The Government said it was confident in the vaccination programme and urged parents and schools use it.

Natalie collapsed at Coventry’s Blue Coat Church of England School on Monday and died in hospital.

Dr Caron Grainger, joint director of public health for NHS Coventry and Coventry City Council, said: “The preliminary post-mortem results have revealed a serious underlying medical condition which was likely to have caused death.

“We are awaiting further test results which will take some time. However, indications are that it was most unlikely that the HPV vaccination was the cause of death.”

Meanwhile, the NHS quarantined the batch of Cervarix vaccine and schools and primary care trusts temporarily suspended the immunisation programme.

Paige’s mother, Margaret, said she had come home from Thomas Telford School with a headache and within hours suffered seizures and ended up in intensive care.

By Health Correspondent Dave Morris