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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.” |
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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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