There has been much recent attention given to the decision of two Alberta Catholic school boards to not host immunization clinics for young female students. Administering the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in schools was recently voted on by the Calgary Catholic school board on Sept. 24 and by the St. Thomas Aquinas school board on Sept. 19.
Both school boards voted not to make the controversial HPV vaccine available for their students and their decision was met with some approval but was also criticized by Alberta Health Minister Ron Liepert and many organizations and individuals.
Whether the administration of the vaccine is a moral, a health issue or other, the schools that decide not to have this province-wide vaccine are completely within their rights.
The St. Thomas Aquinas school district covers Ponoka and includes St. Augustine School. The district’s vote on offering the vaccine was against it 6-3. The schools included in the decision have a total of approximately 2,500 students.
Two major issues that centered around the vaccine include the concern that it may encourage young girls to become sexually active as well as the possible health risks and effects of the vaccine.
These concerns may come under some heat by the public, deeming them speculative issues and accusing them of being misguided but when it comes down to it, HPV is a health issue and should not be a school issue.
Schools should be active in promoting abstinence and education but when there is a personal health matter, it should be left up to the board to decide whether to bring it into their school and, ultimately left up to parents or guardian to choose.
When a school offers something like this in school it can be seen more as an endorsement and seems more appropriate that it remains a parental choice and families make the decision for their daughters.
All of Canada has accepted the use of the vaccine in schools and the Alberta government was the last of Canada’s provinces to recognize that HPV poses a serious health risk and needs to be focused on. Alberta jumped on the Gardisil bandwagon which gives women and girls immunity from four types of HPV and helping to protect against cervical cancer.
The vaccine is part of a hope to give young girls immunity to the HPV before they become sexually active.
Health regions across Alberta will be offering a free, voluntary vaccination campaign in schools and will be offered it to girls entering Grade 5 starting this month. The program is also expanded to include Grade 9 girls. Public health nurses will be giving the series of three shots and parents will be asked for consent before their child is immunized.
Although the vaccine does offer some immunity, it does not protect a female from a variety of other sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.
It may prove to be a somewhat positive thing that the Alberta government has made the vaccine freely available but the decision should remain with the parents.
In Canada, each year, an estimated 1,300 women contract HPV which can cause cervical cancer and about 400 women die of cervical cancer annually. It is the second more-common type of cancer for women between the ages of 20 and 44.
Parents and schools should have the choice of whether or not to provide the option to their students or immunize their children and any criticism to their personal choice should not come under fire.
