A Vaccine Truth That’s Stranger Than Fiction

Something even stranger than monkeys or mad cow disease is present in many vaccines.Many vaccines are cultured in human cell lines, called human diploid cells – and, I kid you not, these human diploid cells originated in fetal tissue taken from legal abortions in the 1960s.

Two fetal cell lines are commonly used in vaccines:

• WI-38 is the cell line taken from the lung cells of a healthy three-month-old female aborted fetus in 1962. Some brands of varicella, measles, mumps, rubella, and shingles vaccines include the WI-38 cell line.
• MRC-5 is the other commonly used cell line, taken from the lung cells of a healthy 14-week-old male aborted fetus in 1966. That cell line cultures polio, rabies, hepatitis A, smallpox, and shingles vaccines.

A third cell line, PER-C6, was taken from the retinal cells of a healthy 18-week-old aborted fetus in 1985 and is currently being used to develop potential ebola and HIV vaccines.To clarify, not all vaccines include human diploid cells – just certain brands. If you’re concerned about potential exposure, double check with your physician for the brands given to your child and if they include human diploid cells.

Vaccines that include non-aborted fetal cell lines are available for hepatitis B, measles, mumps, polio, rabies, and smallpox.

It’s also important to note that no new fetal tissue is currently needed to produce cell lines for the vaccines. And fetal tissue is not used to produce the vaccines – it’s only the cell lines that have been generated from the fetuses. Because of this, actual fetal tissue is not part of vaccines. 1

Religious opposition to vaccines
The fact that any portion of a vaccine utilizes cell lines generated from aborted fetuses brings up a heated pro-life and religious debate. American and British Catholic bishops have commented that parents can vaccinate their children if they feel a necessity, since technically the tissue was removed after the fetus was electively aborted and vaccine manufacturers never were involved in the abortions. And, bishops emphasize that vaccines do serve an important role in saving the lives of children. 2

But ever since vaccines were created, religious anti-vaccination movements have been prevalent. British clergy in the early 1800s opposed vaccines because they utilized animal elements and were “unchristian.” 3 Currently in the United States, 48 states allow people to use religious exemptions from vaccines. 4

Talk back

Based on what you’ve learned about the inclusion of animals and fetuses in vaccine production, what is your reaction? Would these components affect your vaccination decision?

1. “Alphabetical List of Licensed Establishments including Product Approval Dates.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration Center for Biologics. Oct. 31, 2010.

“Aborted Fetal Cell Use in Rubella Vaccines: A Medical and Ethical Conflict.” Laurence F. Roberge. HLI Reports. Eternal Word Television Network. May 1995.

“Do Vaccines Contain Aborted Fetal Tissue?” Lisa Jo Rudy. About.com. Aug. 10, 2009.

“Top 20 Questions about Vaccination.” The College of Physicians of Philadelphia.

“Vaccines, Abortion & Fetal Tissue.” Life Notes. Right to Life of Michigan.

2. “Immunity From Evil?: Vaccines Derived from Abortion.” Jameson Taylor. Lay Witness. Jan./Feb. 2003.

“Aborted Fetal Cell Use in Rubella Vaccines: A Medical and Ethical Conflict.” Laurence F. Roberge. HLI Reports. Eternal Word Television Network. May 1995.

3. “History of Anti-Vaccination Movements.” The College of Physicians of Philadelphia.

4. “Ethical Issues and Vaccines.” The College of Physicians of Philadelphia.

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