Bishops issue updated letter
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina has reissued a letter on the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine after information sent out by the diocese came under criticism for containing out-of-date information.
The archdiocese quickly apologized for sending out the original letter, with theologian Brett Salkeld telling the Saskatoon StarPhoenix the information slipped under its radar.
He said the letter, which was dated Sept. 25, was actually written roughly 10 years ago and contained information that became out of date as the years passed.
In the previous letter, the bishops of Saskatchewan say the HPV vaccine must not be made compulsory for young students, according to a copy published by CBC.
It states a concern that the vaccine could lead to a false sense of security leading young people to engage in risky behaviour, and undermine a healthy sense of sexuality.
It states that scientific support for the vaccine is still at an early stage, and the long-term effects are unknown.
Salkeld said the new letter, which is dated Oct. 5, corrects the information originally sent out in error and was authored after the Archdiocese of Regina consulted with medical professionals, including the province’s chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab.
He said the letter includes more information about the effectiveness of the vaccine and its longterm side effects.
“It’s a good news story,” he said. “The vaccine is working and it’s not having massive side effects. So we’re updating it to say the studies seem to indicate that this is an effective vaccine,” he said.
“The other set of concerns is around behaviour. The studies seem to indicate that this is not a case where there’s risk compensation going on in terms of promiscuity or anything like that.”
The bishops of Saskatchewan indicate they “sincerely regret the confusion we caused in our letter of Sept. 25, 2017 on the government funded school-based offering of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine” with the letter indicating the institution was introduced to numerous studies that document the effectiveness of the vaccine against cervical and throat cancer.
“We understand that the vaccine is generally considered to be safe, and is widely regarded today as an effective cancer prevention strategy for boys and girls alike,” the letter continues.
When asked about the letter’s effect on the trust that people put into the Archdiocese of Regina, Salkeld said he believes its quick response should help the institution’s credibility.
“It is our hope that our forthright acknowledgment of our mistake and our quick and thorough work to correct it should help our credibility,” he said.
“If your goal is to run an institution that never makes mistakes, you’re probably going to be disappointed.”