PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – A Catholic bishop in British Columbia says a vaccine that protects girls against a sexually transmitted infection isn’t inherently wrong, but that abstinence is the only healthy choice.
The comments by Stephen Jensen of the Diocese of Prince George were delivered in a September letter to the parents of Grade 6 and Grade 9 girls attending Catholic schools.
The letter posted online says vaccination teams will visit Catholic schools three times in the coming year to vaccinate girls against the human papillomavirus.
The provincial government website ImmunizeBC says three quarters of sexually active women will get HPV during their lives and the virus can become cancerous.
Jensen says the vaccination program isn’t inherently wrong but parents need to talk to their children to strengthen the virtue of chastity and “appreciation of abstinence as the only truly healthy choice.”
He says students may not consent to or refuse the immunization without their parents’ permission though either option is legally available to children under 19.
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