GOVERNORS who banned girls from having vaccinations to protect against cervical cancer at a school have been criticised for giving out inaccurate information.
Furious parents want St Monica's Catholic High School in Bury to take part in the national scheme that offers girls aged 12 and 13 protection against the sexually-transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV), which is linked to cervical cancer.
Governors wrote to parents saying they 'do not believe that school is the right place for the injections to be administered' because injections are no longer given in schools and jabs should only be given in sterile clinical settings by 'appropriate professional medical personnel'.
Regional health officals have criticised the governors for putting out inaccurate information, saying vaccines ARE safely and routinely given in schools and the nurses carrying out the nation scheme are highly-trained and experienced to deal with any rare, minor side effects.
The governors say the ban was not linked to moral objections raised previously by one of the governors - that the jab would encourage sexual promiscuity because HPV is usually spread through sexual contact.
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."
A statement on the St Monica's website said: "The governors believe that such injections should be given in a sterile clinical setting with the appropriate professional medical personnel at hand should they be needed. This is not an issue for schools, but rather a matter of public health. Preventative inoculations are not now given in schools for any illness.
"Moral considerations such as those reported in the Manchester Evening News for September 24 did not form any part of the governors' decision."
The governors also said: "We took great care in considering whether the vaccination should be given on the school premises. We recognise the seriousness of this cancer, but we unanimously came to the conclusion that vaccination against it is a personal matter for parents to decide in consultation with their family doctor and their children."
The school's stance comes despite support for the injections from the Salford Diocese and the Church nationally.
A spokesman for the North West Health Protection Agency said: "It's inaccurate to say that injections should only be given in a sterile clinical setting. Injections are routinely given in schools, homes and other community settings.
"The HPV vaccine is tested, safe and effective and is being given in school settings by highly-trained school nurses, which will eventually save thousands of lives."
Health officials are now organising clinics outside school for St Monica's girls to receive the three jabs over six months.
Denise Whealing, whose 15-year-old daughter attends the school, said: "I am very angry about this decision, especially as the church has no objections to this injection. I hope they'll rethink their position.
"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, especially as my grandmother had cervical cancer.
"I understand my daughter will be offered the injection next year, so I will now be forced to take her out of school for doctor's appointments to obtain the injection, which will mean she misses three half-days from school. I can't understand it at all, it just doesn't make any sense."
The vaccination 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. Parents have to give consent before girls receive the jabs.
Each year more than 1,000 women in Britain across the UK die from the disease. The vaccination drive will cost the government £100m a year. A catch-up programme to vaccinate girls aged between 14 and 18 will begin in 2009.
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Simple solution - take all the pupils out of the school, during school time, to get the vaccine from the doctors. Then watch the school get hammered for its rate of "unauthorised absence."
The school must have a very low opinion of their girls, to think they'll become promiscuous on the back of a jab that stops cancer.
God knows what they teach them during the school day....
I bet that within a few days the school will “ suddenly “ decided that following parents concern the vaccine will now be given in this school..
Well call me cynical, but by that time they will have got over there message that the certain members of the church feel that this vaccine promotes sexual promiscuity among young girls.
And then by letting the girls have the vaccine they will come out of this as a caring church and school.
But then again I might be wrong
The 'health chiefs' should know that the same government who pays them and funds the NHS also chooses to fund religious schools. If they don't like what the government does they should resign from its employ or else keep quiet. It's their job to vaccinate members of the public who agree to be vaccinated, not to criticise those who don't. These 'health chiefs' are public servants and they should not criticise the decisions of their masters, the public.
Tezza,
A total turn-round from what you said earlier. Have you been reading all the comments and the initial reporting?
I have a suggestion for the mother who commented that she would do anything to protect my child.
Take her to the GP yourself.
Why should you expect the school to take over what should be your responsibility in the first place.
Can I just say to all the people here that
1 - this is not down to the school - the school is being used as a site the CHOICE is down to the parents and the pupil - no one is being forced to be vaccinated
2 - the facts are available for all the parents and the girls to read - there are no secrets
3 - HPV can be transmitted through sexual intercourse EVEN IF A CONDOM IS USED so people who comment on here should get their facts right before they start preaching.
The issue is about the school taking away the ease of choice for the parent and should remain impartial.
No girl is taught about cervical cancer - if they were maybe they would make HEALTHIER choices - the world is changing we might not agree with it but as a government body it has an obligation to protect.
And for those who still want to argue; argue this drug users get methadone FREE on the NHS, people with CANCER have to pay for their prescriptions - I think that is worth arguing over, not who's right over an individuals choice.
NON BIASED BUT NAME AND SHAME THE GOVERNORS They probably have no girls but watch them if they develop a testicular vaccine !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Health Chiefs should be critisized themselves, for killing people by shutting vital services in the Manchester area
The governors have made the correct decision. Why do people think that there will be no adverse affects for the girls for this vaccine? Surely mothers of the girls would not have an unquestioned response to whether vaccines were needed when these girls were babies. The MMR jabs and others have been very controversial and we should not be so quick to believe heath officials who want to roll out a super quick vaccine to save on cancer treatment for the future. I for one didn't even know and I have not been told that this vaccine only protects girls from Cancers whose cells are spread from sexually transmitted infections! I'm glad this school has brought this debate to light and I applaud them for being so brave and for taking the caring disposition to ask parents - who ahould do some more research and take the responsibility themselves - to make the decision individually. And yes, we should be thinking, why do we expect our girls to live a life of sexual promiscuity? Is this the best that we have as a vision for our girls? Girls ARE being used as guinea pigs and should be offered the opportunity to abstein not only from this vaccine, but from sex until they are married to one lifelong partner.
They should be compelled by the government to comply or have all their funding withdrawn. This is a case of religious fundamentalists putting their own superstitions before the well-being of children. Unfortunately this government has promoted the 'faith-based education' agenda and this has emboldened the crackpots to flex their muscles in this manner. If we don't nip it in the bud they will be insisting on teaching creationism and all manner of barking mad nonsense!
Suzyrowe, Manchester
I have not turned anywhere; my view has always been that all young girls should get the vaccination.
My point was the mothers comment that she would have to take her daughter out of school to get the jab when with good planning she wouldn’t have too..
And I still don’t understand why you said what you said?
“Who are you to suggest such a thing?
To quote Faulty towers I am just “stating the bleedin obvious” she can’t (as yet) get it done at that school
And my comment on this page is called cynicism
As a past pupil of this school it does not surprise me in the slightest that St. Monica's are going to this extreme.
At school, we was taught that using contraception is wrong and that it is "against God's will" although Jesus didn't teach us in the bible that we men shouldn't wear a condom.
There was a girl in that year below, just last year, who got herself pregnant. If the school had taught us about using contraception then that may not have happened. I also know people who have caught STI's.
The Catholic Church need to open their eyes and realise that the majority of people loose their virginity before turning 16. Especially in North Manchester.
There are more things that promote promiscuity than having a jab that prevents developing cancer, like: friends, bullies and boy/girl friends.
If i was a girl I would rather not be accepted into heaven than to develop cervical cancer.
This news makes people think that the school doesn't care about their pupils lives and that their reputation to the catholic church is more important.
To be quite honest if God does exist, i think he would want someones life spared from this vaccination.
We need sensible sex ed, not risky, unsafe vaccines. And we also need to stop blaming girls and women for STIs (and for 'getting themselves pregnant')
Geoffry Q
Contraception does not work. Ask the thousands who have had a termination as a result. The Catholic Church teaches marriage, love and commitment to one lifelong partner in marriage and this is the building block for a healthy society. Your comments are utterly naieve and smack of a bitter past pupil who wants to bring down the church and it's teachings. Thank God this school has more of a vision for these girls other than living a life just of empty sexual encounters which dehumanise them and merely turn them into sex objects. You say 'I would rather be turned away from heaven than get cervical cancer'. As you are a boy, I'm sure you have very little to worry about on this occasion.
Lolalola of Bury quotes ‘The Catholic Church teaches marriage, love and commitment to one lifelong partner in marriage and this is the building block for a healthy society’.
I am an ex catholic and you don’t mention how they teach; using dogma and fear. Not to mention the billions the catholic church has pillaged and pilfered since their inception, or the hiding and denial of the ‘questionable sexual practices’ of many of its clergy.
The catholic school I attended as a child was run on fear, not discipline. The teacher’s were bad enough but I have been ‘strapped’ across the hands by a Nun (who drew blood)! When I told my parents they were livid, complained and the church as well as the school tried to gloss over it. That’s when my family denounced Catholicism.
Not a very Christian organisation when you think about it.
What were you afraid of Second Row Lump?
Catholic faith...hypocrisy at its best!
lolalola, 'what am I afraid of'?
World War III? United winning another title? Jade Goodie’s visog?
Expand the context of the question and I can answer.
However, if it relates to my comment on 'dogma and fear' let me clarify.
If you do wrong or behave not in accordance with what the catholic doctrines preach the clergy threaten you with hell. They tell you to say Hail Mary's and Our Father's or risk an eternity of suffering having Beelzebub stabbing your backside with a pitchfork whilst you suffer in a pit of fire! What a lovely picture to enforce on young kids eh?
Then the dogma, the rules! They call you a sinner for 'onanism' for goodness sake.
Dogma and Fear, the very cornerstone of what that organisation is about.
I didn’t fear it though, I had the brains, the common sense and the personal belief to know what a man in a black frock and a white collar said was nonsense!
If I am wrong and I do end up in hell, at least I don’t have to endure Cliff Richard in heaven. Compared to that, spending an eternity with ‘Old Nick’ and all his instruments of torture would be ‘heaven’ (so to speak).