Schools denying girls the cervical cancer jab on religious grounds

[DowagersHump]

This is absolutely appalling. Even worse, they are not telling GPs that they are choosing not to offer vaccination :(

Grauniad article

The Guardian article does not specify which religion. Nor does it say they are state schools. No does it say that whichever "religion" (or religions) it is actually is the predominant reason.

I've now been to look for the source article: most is behind a paywall. But it's clear it's been sensationalised "thousands at risk" when it is 24 affected schools in responding PCTs (about half of them) and there are over 3,100 state secondaries in UK. Add on independents (300 or so, figures vary) but it it means that you're looking at about 1% of school pupils.

Remember the responsibility here does not actually lie with the school: "Somebody needs to ensure that those girls who are eligible for the HPV vaccination and are not being offered it at school, are offered it. And that responsibility lies with the PCT."

99% coverage BTW is excellent, and outstrips the level reached for eg MMR. Pressure needs to be put on PCTs to live up to their responsibilities here and make sure they reach that final 1%.

Leonie - immunisation programmes are much more successful when they're opt out rather than opt in. And the easiest way to do that for older children is to do that at school.

Do you have an issue with all medical treatment being done through the school system or is it just this vaccine that you consider 'particularly nasty'/

Edith - no the responsibility does not lie with the schools. But by denying the jab to their pupils and then not telling their GPs, they are making it extremely difficult for PCTs to follow up.

And I presume 1% of eligible children will actually run into thousands, not tens of thousands admittedly but it's not 5 kids.
We also know that the increasing number of children who have not had the MMR is causing a rise in the incidence of measles etc so not quite sure what your point is there.

Food for thought

You need parental consent in the UK before being given the HPV vaccine. So not sure what the relevance of your vulnerable children or a story from an anti-vaccination site about a young woman in Canada is.

The pros/cons of vaccination have been done to death on MN.

Isn't this more about whether or not schools have the right to make moral judgements about health programmes on behalf of their pupils?

The relevance is that parental consent was not given, in fact was actively refused but the girl was still badgered into having the vaccine (in school).

I'm not talking about the pros/cons of vaccination. Like you say it's been done to death (your words).

Schools should have nothing to do with vaccination IMO.

that's right, the program could be offered through the GP, while schools could get on with teaching maths and stuff.

It's all fine and dandy being a virgin in your wedding day, but where is the guarentee that your partner will be? And why should you be punished for his bad behaviour? I have no prob with people being anti cervical vac as its new, but do it for tge right reasons

Would someone with medical knowledge explain why young chaps aren;t being given the vaccine?

I know I could google, but ... I'll have to wade and hunt through information - and I know there will be some clever mn-er able to explain this clearly.

Genuine question. I'm interested.

Gathering, there isn't a reason. They've started vaccinating boys in the US recently.

Boys can also be vaccinated

crescentmoon
"in 1950 most women probably followed the sociocultural norms at that time of marriage first, then sex."

There is a difference between what people pretended was acceptable, and what really happened.

In granny's day there were lots of "orphanages," lots of fresh new babies available for adoption, and lots of shotgun marriages. Not to mention the backstreet abortionists, a trade which, thank god, has almost entirely disappeared in Britain.

I'm wondering why it isn't being rolled out in the UK to boys in schools. I thought the aim with most things was herd immunity? Or is it different with vaccination?

I genuinely don't know the difference.

t.i. a.

Herd immunity...

Outrageous that schools can put girls at risk in this way. It's up to parents and girls to decide whether they want the vaccine, not up to bigots and misogynists who want to control female sexuality and are pretty darn confused about why people start having sex in the first place.

Hey, sossiges, I just love your anti-vaccination link

I especially loved the author suggesting that states which sponsor vaccination have nazi, stalinist or communist tendencies. I am guessing the author was writing for an American audience.

"Worse are the States, such as Massachusetts, New Jersey and Maryland, where forced vaccinations have either been mandated by the courts, the state legislature, or have such legislation pending. All of such policies strongly resemble those policies found in National Socialist empires, Stalinist countries, or Communist China."

Hey, PigletJohn I think enforced/mandated vaccination is pretty bad myself, so actually I would agree with him. I just read something where a Chinese man was sent to a labour camp in 2011 for complaining about his son's adverse reaction to a BCG vaccination (which everyone knows is useless anyway) but it'll never come to that in the good ol' US of A (or here) will it?

Im being really thick but, I hope someone can enlighten me. Ive had treatment twice and still go for six month smears but, Ive never had hpv. So, what could be causing my changes?

I was appalled by the article and I just hope it wont be the case and my DN's new catholic school in September.

a BCG vaccination (which everyone knows is useless anyway)

no, you're wrong there.

for example this fellow doesn't seem to know it, and neither do I

Our local Catholic secondary school advises that it is given....both my nieces have attended the school and both had the jab.

PigletJohn You're right, of course. I shouldn't have said that. Not everyone knows that it's useless.