Canadian diocese under pressure to allow in-school HPV vaccinations

June 26, 2012

The Diocese of Calgary is under mounting pressure from Canadian activists to allow immunizations in Catholic schools to guard against a sexually transmitted disease.

A group called HPV Calgary is pushing for all schoolgirls in Alberta to be given the HPV vaccines as protection against a virus that is associated with cervical cancer. Catholic schools in the Calgary diocese have resisted in-school immunizations. Diocesan school officials explain that parents should be allowed to decide whether or not to have their daughters immunized, and the HPV vaccine is readily available to those who choose it. Since the diocese set this policy in 2008, most parents have chosen not to seek the immunizations.

 

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Further information:

• Doctors, parents urge Catholic School board to reconsider HPV vaccine (Calgary Herald)
• Calgary bishop’s HPV vaccine ban putting thousands of girls at risk: MDs (National Post)
• Calgary government clinics to offer vaccine for Catholic schoolgirls (CWN, 9/30/08)