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Vaccine "will corrupt" young girls 25.01.10

by Caoimhinn Barr, Inishowen Independent

BUNCRANA Christian campaigner, Mary Doherty, has said that the planned Government cervical cancer vaccination programme will give 12 year old girls "a licence to have sex".
Her controversial comments come following Health Minister Mary Harney’s decision last week to roll out a HPV vaccination scheme for all girls in first year in secondary school in 2010.
HPV is a sexually transmitted disease which can cause cervical cancer.
Dr. Jim McDaid TD, who lost the Fianna Fail party whip following his protest at the Government’s refusal to fund the programme 14 months ago, said he was ‘delighted’ at the news.
Speaking on behalf of Christian group, Renew, Mary Doherty said presenting the vaccine to first year schoolgirls was ‘child abuse.’
“This encourages young girls to have sex and be promiscuous. It is a form of child abuse. This is another example of the Government corrupting our young people.
“The message we are sending out to children is that it is okay to act morally wrong and have sex.
“We should be educating our children to stay pure and not be running around having sex. This is a total waste of money.”
Ms Doherty said she would be writing to the Health Minister and the HSE to register her disgust at the measure.
“Why should she [Harney] be corrupting children who don’t belong to her?”
“The Government is educating children in how to be sexually active and promiscuous instead of educating them to abstain from sex until marriage,” she said.
“I think it is despicable to offer this vaccine at such a young age. If a girl behaves morally correct she will not need an injection. This virus is preventable by education.”
Mary Doherty
The Buncrana nurse said that she feared that the vast majority of girls here would accept the vaccination because of ‘ignorance.’
“It is very sad and horrific that these young people will get vaccinated. I would urge parents not to let their children get it,” she said.
Ms Doherty, who is not a mother herself, said she knew many parents who would not let their children receive the cervical cancer vaccine.
In contrast, Dr James McDaid TD said he welcomed Mary Harney’s decision to introduce the vaccine.
“I am delighted that the government have finally decided to introduce the programme. I am confident that it will be widely used and I would urge every girl to get it,” he said.
“It may be the best gift you could ever give a child.”
“The subject is taboo to moral campaigners because it relates to sex. If we had listened to them we would still have polio.”
When pressed about whether or not this would bring him back into the Fianna Fail parliamentary fold, Dr McDaid said that there were still other ‘internal issues’ to be resolved.
The HPV vaccination scheme will begin later this year with 30,000 girls in first year of secondary school, before it is offered, free-of-charge, to all first years.
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