SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV) may soon be offered in Yellowknife Catholic Schools after the board of trustees heard presentations about the vaccine, which can protect against cervical cancer.
The vaccine for the sexually-transmitted infection is the only vaccine recommended by the Yellowknife public health office that Yellowknife Catholic schools do not currently offer.
The board has been re-examining whether or not to allow the vaccine in its schools. The last time the issue came before the board, it was brought forward by then trustee Rose-Marie Jackson in 2009.
Trustees voted 5-2 in September 2009 not to provide the vaccine, citing a lack of information about possible side effects. But the decision was widely criticized, particularly among the medical community, who accused the school board of putting Catholic views on promoting abstinence over the health of its students.
The HPV vaccine Gardasil is provided in public schools, including Yellowknife Education District No. 1, beginning in Grade 4. Human papillomavirus is known to cause cervical cancer.
Now, during the most recent board meeting last Wednesday, resident Linda Wood was the sole voice of dissent during public presentations to the board.
Dr. Andrew Kotaska, Nancy Trotter of the public health office and Jackson made presentations, each speaking in favour of offering the vaccine to children at Yellowknife Catholic Schools.
The HPV vaccine costs $140 per dose and has to be given three times over six months.
The key behind offering it to younger girls is to protect them against strains before they actually become sexually active, although if someone chooses to get the vaccine after they have become sexually active, they are still protected against other strains of HPV, said Kotaska.
"As a Catholic school we have to try and protect our values," said vice-chair John Dalton. While consent forms would still be sent to parents and information made available, Dalton said it was naive to assume most of the parents would even receive notice, because information sometimes has a tendency to not make it home.
Wood, who has raised five children in the Yellowknife Catholic Schools system, said allowing the vaccines to be provided on school grounds is unacceptable.
"It undermines the ability of your child to choose a positive healthy lifestyle," said Wood.
"This is not guaranteed helpful. Everything has a side effect and for someone here to say it's not, that's not right."
Wood is also concerned that by allowing the vaccine, it would make children assume they are safe and could lead to premarital sex.
"There is very little support for the abstinence lifestyle," said Wood.
"When condoms are even included in the goody bags given to Arctic Winter Games athletes, what kind of message are we sending to our children? There's a false sense of safety."
Kotaska said the board already offers the Hepatitis B vaccine, which is commonly transmitted through sexual activity.
"Yellowknife Catholic Schools is a GNWT-funded school district with additional revenue from ratepayers who choose to support it," said Jackson.
"Yellowknife Catholic Schools has allowed other vaccination programs in our schools in the past. For example, the Hepatitis B vaccine program which has been delivered since the late 1990s, and I feel YCS has a responsibility to continue to provide access to all vaccination programs."
Trustee Steven Voytilla asked that the ban on the HPV vaccine from four years ago be looked at again after it was raised at a parent advisory committee meeting in February.
While the board wasn't prepared to make a decision on allowing the vaccine one way or another, it will be discussing the issue as a whole and adding it to the agenda for the board's meeting May 15.
