School blocks cervical cancer jabs

September 23, 2008

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A CATHOLIC school has become the first in the country to block a project to vaccinate girls against cervical cancer.

Governors of St Monica's High School in Bury - who have previously criticised the jab for `encouraging sexual promiscuity' - have decided they don't want pupils vaccinated on school grounds.

The government plans to give injections to girls aged 12 and 13 to protect them against the sexually-
transmitted papilloma virus, linked to cervical cancer.

Experts believe the programme, which consists of three injections over six months, will eventually save hundreds of lives a year.

The programme has already started in some parts of the country, including Oldham, and pupils in Bury are expected to begin vaccinations over the next few weeks.

But governors at 1,200-pupil St Monica's High have sent a letter to parents outlining objections.

The letter points out that the vaccine protects against only 70 per cent of cervical cancers, and gives details of possible side-effects to the jab.

The letter from chair of governors Martin Browne says: "We do not believe that school is the right place for the three injections to be administered.

"Therefore, governors have taken the decision not to allow the school premises to be used for this programme."

It does not mention any moral objections, but speaking about the pilot scheme last year, school governor Monsignor John Allen said pupils were being used as `guinea pigs'.

He said: "Morally it seems to be a sticking plaster response. Parents must consider the knock-on effect of encouraging sexual promiscuity

"Instead of taking it for granted that teenagers will engage in sexual activity, we can offer a vision of a full life keeping yourself for a lifelong partnership in marriage."

The school's stance comes despite support for the injections from the Salford Diocese and the Church nationally.

Governors confirmed they had discussed the vaccine at a recent meeting, but head Frank McCarron was unavailable for comment

The M.E.N. could not contact Mr Browne and no one at the school was willing to comment.

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MPs gravy train, UK (24/09/2008 at 06:41)

I presume that the school will now lose all of its state funding.

Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (24/09/2008 at 07:17)

I hope the school have sufficient public liability insurance.

StevoDevo, Bolton (24/09/2008 at 07:26)

They should not get a choice in the matter - if we don't clamp down on them now they'll be teaching our kids that the world is flat before long.

morticia, worsley (24/09/2008 at 08:13)

It is about time the Catholic church came into the 21st century! No wonder I have been a lapsed Catlick for many years now!Got sick of being brainwashed with lies and made to feel guilty all my school life.

L L Fontelroy (24/09/2008 at 08:54)

This just highlights how incredibly stupid not just the catholic faith but all faiths in general are!

Trudy, Bolton (24/09/2008 at 08:57)

but then this is the religion that preaches against using condoms where hiv can cause death also....

Guten Tag (24/09/2008 at 09:20)

Science verse Religion. One confirmed and proved, the other has no evidence of it's existence except followers. It's like the blind leading the blind.

Rt Hon Dr Rev MC Spanner MP QC FCA FRICS JP OK (24/09/2008 at 09:20)

"This just highlights how incredibly stupid not just the catholic faith but all faiths in general are!
L L Fontelroy, "

What a shallow argument. I agree this school is acting outside of the norm, but if you read the article, the Diocese support the jab.

Next you will be telling us that all wars are caused by religion, forgetting land, power and money even exist.

Mark,Radcliffe. (24/09/2008 at 09:28)

I could understand it if St. Monicas was a Nunnery...Isnt this school's catchment area near to Besses o'the Barn (which is in the top 10 for school-teenage pregnancies in the U.K.)..So something is going on outside school hours,which these Governors have no control over.

Bean B4, manchester (24/09/2008 at 09:38)

They are guilty of allowing hundreds of thousands of people to die - albeit in a state of grace (sic) through HIV AIDS. Allowing a few Brtitish women to die of cancer is neither here nor there.

Mr Angry, Bury (24/09/2008 at 09:58)

Earth to the Catholic Church

What is it like in the 19th Century?

Frostee, Oldham (24/09/2008 at 10:02)

Once again back to the Dark Ages by woefully misguided clerics. Together with Creationism and Noah's Ark we do indeed live in enlightened times.

Suzyrowe, Manchester (24/09/2008 at 10:18)

This government decision is about our children's lives! Not about who believes in what, whether it is a Catholic school or not. Our children's lives comes first.

AlexisV (24/09/2008 at 10:24)

""Instead of taking it for granted that teenagers will engage in sexual activity, we can offer a vision of a full life keeping yourself for a lifelong partnership in marriage."

So, you're immune to cancer if you abstain, get married and then start having sex?

Tezza, Tyldesley (24/09/2008 at 10:27)

Perhaps they should be discussing it with their congregation on Sunday (sorry with the 10 people who go to church on Sunday, and most of them will be 65 years old).

No wonder the churches are empty each week, they should be more concerned about the welfare of the people in the local community.

all schhols ahould be run by the state and have nothing to do with religion

I have never understood why any church organisation should have an interest in school, after all religion is a personal thing and should be kept private and not pushed down the throats of children.

L L Fontelroy (24/09/2008 at 10:30)

Look at the facts, there are countless millions of jews, christians, muslims etc - which one is right? Now please explain why faiths are not stupid?

Blip, Manchester (24/09/2008 at 11:32)

The comments being posted display a certain ignorance of what the RC religion is all about. It does not promote sex outside of marriage. To agree to this measure would go against the grain for a Catholic school, and not all parents - for whatever reason - would agree with it. What next - this nanny state forcing schoolgirls to swallow a contraceptive pill with each school meal to reduce the level of teenage pregnancy?

We should have a choice. If parents care enough they can always arrange to have their kids jabbed outside of school hours. Tezza, my local church is far from empty whenever I visit, and in case you hadn't noticed, faith schools are the best performers. That's why parents are trying every trick in the book to get their kids into one.

Bury Pensioner., Bury. (24/09/2008 at 11:37)

What a narrow minded lot!

Dinny, Manchester (24/09/2008 at 11:43)

As the mother of a daughter who attends this school I do not agree to the injection being banned on school premises especially by a Male Governer. The church has no objections to the injection and I for one would do anything to save my child any suffering now or in the future from cervical cancer or any form of cancer for that matter. St Monicas provides and works in partnership with parents what a pity the School Governers do not do the same!. I will now be forced to take my daughter out of school for doctors appointments to obtain the injection

A lone Cumbrian gazing through the mist (24/09/2008 at 11:46)

The only thing i believe in is wagon wheels are getting smaller!

They are only saying they dont want the jab administered on school premises. Simply have the jab administered at the childs next GP checkup, it's not rocket science.

redskyatnight (24/09/2008 at 12:06)

Yes, a parent could have this jab done by their GP, but that's entirely beside the point. There is a reason why certain jabs - polio, TB and tetanus boosters for instance - are done at school, and it's because it vastly increases the uptake of those jabs. When these jabs aren't offered at school as a default, far fewer children have them.

So, while a parent could have their daughter vaccinated elsewhere, it's also easy enough for a parent who didn't want their daughter to have the jab to opt out of having it done at school. It makes a lot more sense to do things that way round.

It infuriates me that people seem to think that a cervical cancer jab will have any effect on their daughter's sexual behaviour. 'I might get cervical cancer' has never been any teenager's reason for *not* having sex, for a start. It also infuriates me that people seem to think that girls have to be promiscuous to get it. It may increase the risk, but there are plenty of women who have only ever had one or two partners, long-term, who have died from this disease.

Charlotte Collins (24/09/2008 at 12:07)

I'm so annoyed at this article that I cant find the words to comment. Regardless of faith, all girls should be vaccinated. There is no argument, this jab WILL save lives and at the end of the day thats what matters.

Tezza, Tyldesley (24/09/2008 at 12:17)

Dinny, Manchester,

Don’t your doctors open after 4pm, I assume so and in that case you won’t have to take your child out of school to get the injection.

And to say that you don’t agree with the decision not to allow the injection to take place on the school and especially by a male governor, what on earth has the governors sex go to do with it?,

If you feel so strongly about it, then next time the governors are up for re-election then put yourself forward, or are you like most parents, just moan when something does not go there way. But cant be bothered to get involved.

St_JJ, Wigan (24/09/2008 at 12:24)

The Catholic Church preached that contraception was bad, abstinence or monogamy was the ideal. People in Sub Saharan Africa took on the former but not the latter. Millions of people now dead or dying from HIV. They are essentially preaching the same thing with the vaccince. People again will take their word on it being bad but will still have sex and women will still die from cervical cancer. The Catholic Church has tried to repress sex for hundreds of years without success. They should be supporting responsible sexual behaviour rather than demonising it. They are not going to undo millions of years of evolution.

Politically damaged, Castlefield (24/09/2008 at 12:26)

Abolish faith schools now and we wouldn't have any more of this nonsense.

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