The two girls, who were taken ill after receiving the vaccine against human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer, are still in Valencia's Hospital Clínico.  They are both now said to be in a stable condition, although one of them remains in intensive care.

Sources within the Valencia Regional Health Ministry have confirmed that in both cases, the girls suffered adverse effects 'immediately' after being vaccinated.

Health workers believe that batch number NH52670 was used in both cases so the Minister of Health has ordered this batch to be withdrawn straight away.

The girl who is now on a general ward spent five days in intensive care after being vaccinated last Wednesday and feeling ill 'just ten minutes later', said a member of her family.  'She started to have convulsions and then lost consciousness' they continued, 'so she was taken to the accident and emergency unit, where she spent several hours before being transferred to the intensive care unit'.

Her family was intially told by doctors that, although they were not 'closing any doors' the vaccine was probably not the cause of the girl's illness, but that it was more likely 'some kind of encephalitis or other infection'.

The folllowing day, another 14-year-old girl, who had also received the anti-cancer vaccine, was admitted to hospital with similar symptoms, that had also come on straight after her vaccine.

There is not other connection between the two girls, who do not go to the same school or live in the same area. 

After seeing the second case develop in the same way as the first, pressure was put on the Department of Public Health, which today confirmed that the affected batch of vaccine has indeed been withdrawn.