At the September 25, 2013 Regular Meeting of the Board, a motion was passed to allow the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine to be administered in Holy Spirit Catholic Schools.
"Since 2008, the Board has remained up to date with emerging research regarding the HPV vaccine and, since November 2012, has discussed this issue regularly," explains Board Chair Sandra Dufresne.
"The Board recognizes the rights of parents as first teachers and support that the decision about whether or not a child receives the vaccination ultimately rests with the parents. However, the rate of HPV vaccine uptake for the girls in our division indicates that accessibility is an issue; we are now allowing the vaccine in the school as safeguarding the health of our students is very important."
As an additional step, the Board has also determined that a policy regarding vaccination protocol should be developed. Superintendent Chris Smeaton notes, “Given continuing advances in medical science, it seems a matter of time before our schools will have to deal with future vaccinations that may be incongruent with our Catholic teachings. By developing a standard protocol, it is hoped that processes will be in place to better address concerns about these vaccinations when they arise.”
The School Division has communicated its decision to Alberta Health Services and is in the process of ensuring that the vaccine is accessible in a timely fashion.
So what? there are no catholic schools in Crowsnest.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly seems to have caught your attention.
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