The point of the vaccine is not to stop all STIs that is correct.

What it does prevent is HPV which directly unquestionably CAUSES cervical cancer. There really should not be any questions over the use of this vaccine.

Ray, London,

It is not up to parents or schools whether young women take this vaccine - it is up to the young women themselves. Their parents are entitled to whatever religious superstitions they need as a crutch to get them through life, but this cannot be forced on young people.

Paul, London,

What does the school do about the TB or polio vaccines? Faith schools! These zealots shouldn't be allowed to run a pie stand.

Why doesn't the headline just say

"CATHOLIC SCHOOL WANTS ITS PUPILS TO DIE OF CANCER"

Significant that the headmaster doesn't comment, but the priest does. Fanatics

Jon, Winchester,

Nothing new there then. The Roman Catholic Church would far rather see women die in agony than to abandon their medieval superstition.

sally marshall, bristol,

The more I read, the more I become convinced that the Catholic church is some kind of loopy (misogynistic) death cult.
Shouldn't they be jumping at the opportunity to protect their members, not condemning them to a painful death?

John Flemming, Scunthorpe, UK

The Governors of this school are no longer competent to be in post and should be dismissed.

D Owen, Nantwich, UK

These vaccines are preventive; they are not therapeutic-that is important to know,They prevent possible infection by HPV; these are not vaccines that prevent cancer.Because it is important that prevention lasts a long time, the need for a booster shot is anticipated with the bivalent vaccine 7-10 .

Clive, Dartford, Kent

people who believe in fairies, astrology, bearded men who live in the sky or any other such mumbo jumbo, should be roundly ridiculed and, more importantly, prevented from having an influence on matters that require a solid grounding in reality, no matter how strongly they feel.

pete woodhouse, edinburgh, scotland

How does it encourage promiscuity?

Did having the BCG in the fourth form encourage me to go and start snogging a load of TB-riddled consumptives?

Hilary Towers, Bristol, Uk

There is no reason for this other than moral posturing. Why would 12 year old girls at a catholic school even understand the concept of sexual promiscuity?

We could eradicate HPV if we work together. At the least we could save lives.

It is so disappointing when the C church behaves like this.

Ed Copley, Birmingham,

I applaud Frank McCarron and his board of governors for having taken the time and the trouble to thoroughly research this issue, for reading the science behind the hype; instead of blindly jumping on the bandwagon with all the other schools.

Dr Jayne LM Donegan, London,

It makes me really angry to hear about this.I'm 21 years old and wish it's been available when i was in school. In the past year I've had to to have treatment for cervical abnormalities. It shouldn't be about religious opinions, it should be about providing the best care possible.

Carly Jones, Bangor, Wales

I beleive that the alternative vaccine for HPV, Gardasil, which is used extensively in the USA and Europe, is 100% effective as compared to only 70% for Cervarix. In other words Gardasil prevents all 3 known variants but Cervarix only 2. Is this correct and if so why Cervarix?

Chris, Aberdeen, Scotland

The Governors of any school which wishes to abstain for any reason from national health initiatives should have to take their schools private in order to do so - renouncing the government money that pays salaries, running costs and expenses of the governors themselves. This is a State-funded school.

Roger Darce, London, UK

There already is an abundance of scientific evidence. If there wasn't the vaccine wouldn't have been introduced in the first place. This is about Catholics feeling that teenage sex should be punished with cancer. Such people shouldn't be allowed to run a school.

Chris, Slough, UK

Only the parents should have the right to say whether their child has the vaccine or not.

I agree that the school may not be the correct forum for its administration but I wonder - would the school's reaction have been the same if it had been a vaccine for breast cancer?

Fiona, London, UK

I am ashamed to be catholic! We finally have an effective solution to a fatal condition and everyone is crying about promiscuity! Perspective people! This is not a licence to fornicate it's a highly effective vaccine against a terrible condition and it WILL save lives! Bad school.....bad!!!

Liv, Oxford,

Heretics.

Mark, Staines,

I agree with the school - it is for parents and children to consult their GP so as to make an informed decision.
Besides, it's obvious, there will be an 'absence of scientific evidence' for the time being. We'll only know about the efficacy/side effects of the vaccine in 2 to 3 generations time.

Jo, Newton Abbot, England

At least one school has the courage to stand up to this bullying government which has presided over an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases which it seems determined to make worse.

Gordon, London, England

I am an atheist but agree with the school. This vaccine does nothing at all to stop sexually transmitted diseases, such as clamydia, yet it will make then think they are immune. It will cause more health problems rather than less.

Dennis, Maidstone,

The government needs to act? What rubbish! No-one is preventing these girls from having the vaccine outside of school, if they wish. I have little empathy with the Roman Catholic church, as a rule, but I applaud them on this occasion for taking a stand on a fairly unproven vaccine.

Margaret, London, UK

If religious adults wish to increase their own risk of disease, then as "mature" people they have that right. However, they should not be allowed to inflict this effect of their superstition upon children.

John Dale, Sunderland,

It just shows how out of touch the church is with modern times.

Paul Downes, Milton Keynes, UK

Obviously, the Governers of a school will know better than those in the medical profession and can make such wild statements! Makes sense doesn't it?

Rob, Singapore,

I am very concerned about the way individual Catholic schools can make such a decision. The health of teenagers in these schools is also being continually compromised in the way 'sex and relationship' education' is reduced and restricted by foundation governors. The government needs to act.

Geraldine Cullinan, Leamington Spa, England