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OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, September 11, 2009 · 4 Fewer Grade 8 Catholic girls receiving HPV vaccine By Tim Foran METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP Only about a quarter of all eligible Grade 8 girls in Halton's English Catholic schools in the last school year started a vaccination program that combats a leading cause of cervical cancer, according to a staff report reviewed by regional council's health committee Tuesday. That's about 35 per cent less than the uptake The Regional Municipality of Halton www.halton.ca Blue & Green at your School More Items for Waste-free Lunch Use reusable containers for sandwiches and snacks. Bring a reusable thermos instead of drinking boxes or cartons. Pack real fruit and vegetables instead of processed snacks. Buy in bulk--it saves packaging and money. of the vaccine by Grade 8 girls at both Halton's public and French Catholic schools, according to Regional staff. It's also a 10 per cent drop from the percentage of English Catholic Grade 8 girls who received the vaccine the previous school year of 2007-08, according to the report. The vaccine, which protects against two strains of HPV that cause 70 per cent of cervical cancer cases, is optional and requires parental consent. "It is very likely the reason for the decrease is the fact we couldn't get into the schools," Halton Medical Officer of Health Dr. Bob Nosal said in an interview following the health committee meeting. Nosal was referring to a decision made by the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) in June, 2008, when five of the board's nine trustees voted to stop allowing the health department to administer the vaccine, called Gardasil, at its schools. "The discussion focused on the importance of our board to sustain and promote a school system as a distinctively Catholic faith-based school system," HCDSB Chair Alice Anne LeMay said, describing how that decision was reached. At the same meeting, the board also resolved to, "increase its efforts to empower students to embrace and live out the faith and moral teaching of the Catholic church as they relate to human sexuality." The board had allowed the Region to run the vaccination program in its schools in 2007-08, the first year the Province funded the use of Gardasil to immunize Grade 8 girls against the sexually-transmitted Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The board is currently the only one in Ontario to disallow HPV vaccinations on school property, said Nosal. "The reality is it's a barrier," he said. Responding to Nosal's assessment, LeMay said: "Our board believes and continues to emphasize that the HPV vaccination program is a voluntary program and that it's parents who have the right and responsibility to decide if their child will be vaccinated." LeMay said the board distributes information pamphlets from the health department to parents of Grade 8 girls outlining the HPV vaccine and where it can be received. The Region provides community clinics and special clinics on PD days so that English Catholic schoolgirls and other boards' students who missed a dose at their own school can receive the vaccine. But it's not as efficient as providing the vaccine on school property, said Nosal, noting the vaccination requires three doses over six months. HPV is very common, with 75 per cent of sexually active men and women becoming infected at some time in their lives, according to the staff report. However, the Province only provides free HPV vaccinations to Grade 8 girls at this time. For girls of other ages, Nosal said the cost of taking the three doses is $450. He said the Region's health department has been flexible in allowing some girls from grades 9 and 10 to get the vaccine if they request it. The uptake of the vaccine is on the increase overall among Grade 8 girls in Halton. According to regional staff: · In the Halton District School Board's public schools, about 61 per cent of eligible girls received the vaccine in 2008-09, a 10 per cent jump from the previous year. · In Halton's private schools, about 44 per cent of eligible girls received the vaccine in 200809, just over an 11 per cent increase from the previous year. · In the two French Catholic schools in Halton (data also included in the private school statistics), about 59 per cent of eligible girls received the vaccine in 2008-09 compared to 57.9 the previous year. The French public schools in Halton only go up to Grade 6. · Of all eligible Grade 8 girls in Halton, 45 per cent received the vaccine in 2008-09, compared to 43 per cent the previous year. Across the Province, 49 per cent of eligible Grade 8 girls in 2007-08 received the vaccine, according to the Ministry of Health. Statistics for the last school year will be released in late September or early October. Items for Blue Box Items for Garbage Milk & juice cartons Plastic water & pop bottles (caps go in garbage) 1 2 & caps Run to honour Terry Fox The Oakville Terry Fox Run is on Sunday at Abbey Park Secondary School, next to the Glen Abbey Recreation Centre, Third Line south of Upper Middle Road. The run begins at 10 a.m., with registration beginning at 9 a.m. Participants can choose to run, walk, bicycle, or inline skate either a 5K or 10K route. Opening ceremonies will be hosted by Dan Ferrone and will commence at 9 a.m. Pledge sheets are available at all Town recreation centres and various businesses throughout Oakville, or can be downloaded at www.terryfoxrun.org . Registration is also available on site on the day of the run. For information, contact Ralph Robinson at 905-827-7659 or Pam Damoff at 905-8276338 or e-mail oakvilleterryfox@gmail.com. Oakville residents are being urged to honour Terry Fox and continue his Marathon of Hope to raise money for cancer research. The run event will also feature performances by the Oakville Suzuki Association and music by the Retro Rock Lounge. Jeannie Jelly Beans will clown around with the crowd and in the children's craft area that will be complete with face painting. STOP (Simon's Tour of Positivity), featuring juggler, Simon Harmgardt, will perform. Glen and Lystra Hamilton will perform their original song, Run Terry Run, written in 1980 during the Marathon of Hope. The Kinsmen will be selling ham and eggs on a muffin from 8.30 a.m. until noon. A limited number of Terry Fox t-shirts will be available at a cost of $17 for adults and $15 for children (6X). Terry Fox ran a marathon a day in 1980. The Terry Fox Run is a day of celebrating Fox's legacy and helping to keep his dream of a cure for cancer alive. & plastic baggies plastic containers Juice boxes & Tetra Paks (straws & plastic wrap go in garbage) Aluminum foil 040909