“Roll up your sleeves” will soon be a phrase girls in Calgary’s Catholic Schools will have to get used to.

Board officials have had a change of heart and have decided to overturn a long-standing ban on providing the HPV vaccine to students.

After surveying the opinion of parent councils in 104 of its 105 schools, they found 91 were in favour of their daughters getting the shot.

Last night’s vote was unanimous, provided students get the signed consent of their parent or guardian.

At this point, it’s still unclear on when the shots will begin to make their way into schools around the city.

Calgary Bishop Fred Henry had been a vocal opponent of the medication believing the shot endorses promiscuity among students.

Henry has yet to speak publicly.

The Board had been threatened with a lawsuit from advocacy group HPV Calgary and other school boards had been begun to pull away from the ban.

Head of HPV Calgary, Dr Juliet Guichon believes the change of heart from the board is two-fold.

“Our resolution to carry this through was significant but what was also significant was there was dissension within the Catholic community led by former superintendents and trustees,” she tells 660News.

Guichon calls the decision long-overdue given Gardasil has been available to girls outside the system since 2008.

And she was baffled by their stipulation that the students must have signed consent from a parent or a guardian.

“You know that is the most perplexing thing I’ve ever heard,” she adds. “Of course parents consent, they always consent for treatment for their children  that isn’t something the board should be speaking about.”

The health advocate and associate professor believes they may be trying to shift the blame from the Bishop to the family home.

Bio-ethicist and professor of paediatrics at Alberta Children’s Hospital Dr. Ian Mitchell was baffled by the Bishop’s claims.

“I think were puzzled by the statement, on the face of it, it seemed very unlikely and when it was studied it was shown to be just not true,” he says.

Audrey Farrier first contracted HPV when she was sexually abused as a teenager.

The disease ravaged her cervix so badly that her son was born prematurely at 22 weeks with cerebral palsy, lung and kidney disease.

She was moved to tears last night, hearing the board had reversed its decision.

“I came home and met my disabled son and we cried a bit,” she tearfully told 660News. “And I said, you know what, if there’s anything I could have done….I wouldn’t have wanted it to be this way and he said ‘you know what it did matter Mom…….it mattered.”

“Once girls have HPV and they may need treatment it’s surgical,” she explains. “It creates scar tissue, it created problems in my pregnancy and it has a long domino effect.”

Farrier says she would have preferred to stay anonymous but realized this was an important issue and a crucial time to take a stand.

660News has requested interviews with Board Chair Mary Martin and the Bishop’s office but has far been unable to reach anyone for comment.