Catholic parents urges supporters to keep pressure on Halton Catholic school board over HPV vaccine

BURLINGTON, Ontario, October 11, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A leading Catholic parents group is again urging supporters to put pressure on the Halton Catholic District School Board as the trustees discuss reversing their decision to let parents take their children to health officials themselves for an HPV vaccine rather than having it done through the Catholic schools.

Board trustees had discussed holding a snap vote on Tuesday, the day after Thanksgiving, to allow the HPV vaccine in the schools.

However, Teresa Pierre, Ph.D., president of Parents as First Educators, received an e-mail from the Director of Education’s executive assistant, Danielle Ross, on Thursday evening indicating that the board decided to hold off voting on the policy. “For your information, the item regarding HPV has been deleted from the October 15 agenda,” Ross said.

Pierre had called the prospect of a Tuesday vote an “outrageous abuse,” noting that there would have been no opportunity for feedback from parents and ratepayers. She applauded board chair Diane Rabenda today “for changing the agenda to allow time for the public to be consulted and provide input."

Now Pierre’s group is urging supporters to sign and disseminate its petition as well as to contact, this weekend, Burlington trustees John Morrison and Arlene Iantomasi, both of whom expressed support at the October 1 board meeting to revisit the issue at the October 15 meeting.  (more...)

Catholic parents urges supporters to keep pressure on Halton Catholic school board over HPV vaccine