Last week, 12-year-old Meredith Prohaska of Waukesha, Wis. died suddenly – and her parents believe it was the result of the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine she’d received hours before.

While cause of death has yet to be determined, Meredith’s mother, Rebecca Prohaska, told Fox6 News reporters that beyond the vaccine, everything was as it normally was. Meredith was vibrant and full of life, she said. Dr. Geoffrey Swain of the Milwaukee Health Department also spoke to Fox6 about Prohaska’s accusations, saying the benefits of an HPV vaccine far outweigh the risks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is in line with Swain, reporting severe, fatal allergic reactions from the vaccine are very rare.

Though if an allergic reaction were to occur, the CDC reports it would be within a few minutes to a few hours after the vaccine was given. Other minor reactions depend on the type of vaccine: HPV-Gardasil® or HPV-Cervarix®. Gardasil® vaccines could cause pain, redness, swelling, fever, headache, and fainting spells, while Cervarix® vaccines can cause pain, redness, swelling, fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal and muscle or joint pain.

Twenty-one thousand of HPV-related cancers could be prevented by getting the HPV vaccine, according to the CDC, which is why children as young as Meredith are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated in the first place.

Get Fox6's full report on their website.