Harry's Blog

Governors at St Monica's High School in Prestwich have banned the anti-cervical cancer vaccine being administered to pupils at the school.

They believe that the vaccine promotes promiscuity. Because of course, most teenagers abstain from sex for fear of cancer in thirty years later. The stupidity of this position beggars belief.

Let's be clear, this is not the teaching of the Catholic Church. The church itself does not object to the vaccine against the virus that causes 70 percent of cervical cancers.

No, it is the idiotic set of governors at the school.

In a letter to parents they explained their stance:

"We do not believe that school is the right place for the three injections to be administered. Therefore, governors have taken the decision not to allow the school premises to be used for this programme."

The school's headmaster has refused to comment on the issue - we could infer all kinds of things from that.

Meanwhile the Diocese of Salford said:

"The diocese and Catholic schools board do not have a moral objection, but it is up to individual schools to decide whether to allow the vaccinations to be carried out in school."

Schools minister Ed Balls has expressed his sadness at the decision of the school governors. He said the following to BBC Radio Manchester:

"In general the vast majority of schools will be delivering these vaccinations and they will be doing so to save lives. I think schools should be at the centre of their community and I don't think schools walking away from their responsibility for children's health is the way to go."

Now of course you may argue that parents can take their daughters for the vaccine at their local GP's surgery. Fair enough. But as someone just said on Radio 4 it is often children of deprived families that are most likely to engage in early promiscuity. And it is these same children are less likely to be taken for the vaccine at the health centre. This is precisely the reason schools are involved in such projects.