Sarah Bennett
There is a common misconception that vaccines contain aborted fetuses. This claim has been made by anti-vaxxers, who demand religious rights for taxpayer funding. The idea that vaccines contain aborted fetuses is not true. However, some vaccine viruses are grown in cells that are descendants of tissue first collected from fetuses several decades ago. The use of fetal tissue from elective abortions is commonplace in the pharmaceutical industry and in medical research. This has raised ethical concerns about the development of certain vaccines, particularly COVID-19 vaccines, among individuals with strong religious convictions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Claim | 27 December 2017 |
| Claim | Anti-vaxxers claim vaccines are derived from aborted babies |
| Fetal Tissue in Vaccines | Fetal tissue is used in the manufacturing of some vaccines, but no vaccine has ever contained tissue from aborted fetuses. Cell lines developed from past abortions are used in the testing or development of certain vaccines. |
| Fetal Tissue in Other Products | Fetal tissue is used in the manufacturing of some products, including anti-aging creams, but not in the final food products. |
| Religious Concerns | The Catholic Church permits the temporary use of vaccines generated using aborted fetal tissue to protect children from preventable diseases. Many persons with religious convictions report hesitancy about COVID-19 vaccines due to ethical concerns. |
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What You'll Learn
Fetal tissue is used in vaccines
Anti-vaxxers have been claiming that vaccines are derived from aborted babies, with some demanding religious rights for taxpayer funding. These claims are not new, and similar assertions have been made about foods and anti-ageing creams. However, it is important to understand the facts about the use of fetal tissue in vaccines.
Fetal tissue from elective abortions is used in the pharmaceutical industry and medical research, including vaccine development. Fetal cells are used as "factories" to generate adenoviruses, which are disabled and used as vehicles to deliver genes from the target virus, triggering an immune response. Fetal cells are preferred because viruses tend to grow better in human cells than animal cells.
While fetal cell lines are used in vaccine development, vaccines do not contain fetal cells or DNA. During the purification process, cellular debris, growth reagents, and any remaining cellular DNA are removed. The fetal cell lines used are also thousands of generations removed from the original tissue, dating back to abortions in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
The Catholic Church has issued guidance permitting Catholics to receive vaccines developed using historical fetal cell lines in the absence of alternatives. The Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life reaffirmed this position in 2017. However, the Trump administration restricted the use of fetal tissue from elective abortions in biomedical research, imposing additional review processes for non-NIH scientists seeking funding for such research.
In summary, while fetal tissue from elective abortions is used in vaccine development, the final vaccines do not contain fetal cells or DNA. The use of fetal cell lines is a complex ethical issue, with religious organizations offering guidance to their followers.
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Vaccines do not contain aborted babies
Anti-vaxxers have been making claims that vaccines are derived from aborted babies, with some demanding religious rights for taxpayer funding. However, these claims are false, as vaccines do not contain aborted babies or fetal tissue. While fetal cells are used in the manufacturing of some vaccines, no vaccine has ever contained tissue from aborted fetuses. The fetal cells used in vaccine development were collected from elective abortions several decades ago, and these original cells have multiplied into many new cells over time, creating fetal cell lines. These fetal cell lines are used to grow vaccine viruses, but the vaccines do not contain these cells or any recognizable human DNA. The purification processes during vaccine production filter and remove any cellular debris, growth reagents, and cellular DNA.
The use of fetal tissue from elective abortions is commonplace in the pharmaceutical industry and medical research. Fetal cells were originally chosen for vaccine development because viruses tend to grow better in human cells than animal cells. Additionally, fetal cells have not divided as many times as other cell types, allowing for longer usage. The ability to store and maintain cells at very low temperatures, such as in liquid nitrogen, has enabled scientists to continuously use the same fetal cell lines established in the 1960s and 1980s without needing new cell sources.
It is important to address the misinformation and fear-mongering surrounding vaccine ingredients, as it sows doubt among parents and individuals making health decisions. All vaccine ingredients undergo rigorous scientific testing to ensure their safety. Vaccines have been safely administered to millions of people over the past 50 years, helping to greatly reduce or eliminate dangerous and deadly diseases such as polio, measles, and Hib meningitis. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends fifteen different vaccines for children to provide protection against various viral and bacterial infections.
While the use of fetal tissue from abortions may raise ethical concerns, it is important to distinguish between the moral issues surrounding abortion and the use of fetal tissue in medical research and vaccine development. The Catholic Church, for example, permits the temporary use of vaccines generated using aborted fetal tissue until alternative vaccines that do not use such tissue become available. The Vatican has also issued guidance permitting Roman Catholics to receive COVID-19 vaccines that use fetal cell lines in development or production.
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Religious convictions and hesitancy about vaccines
Anti-vaxxers have been claiming that vaccines are derived from aborted babies, demanding religious rights for taxpayer funding. However, it is important to distinguish fact from fiction in these claims. While it is true that fetal tissue is used in the manufacturing of some vaccines, no vaccine has ever contained tissue from aborted fetuses. The use of fetal tissue from elective abortions is commonplace in the pharmaceutical industry and medical research. This has raised ethical concerns about the lack of respect for fetal body parts, the implication of material cooperation in abortion, and the perception that vaccination implies agreement with abortion.
The Catholic Church, for example, has a clear stance on abortion, asserting that "from the moment of conception, the life of every human being is to be respected in an absolute way, [...] no one can under any circumstance claim the right directly to destroy an innocent human being." However, the Church does permit the temporary use of vaccines generated using aborted fetal tissue to protect children from preventable diseases, until alternative vaccines without such tissue are available.
The issue of abortion is contentious, and many people with religious convictions express hesitancy about vaccines like COVID-19 vaccines due to ethical concerns. Some COVID-19 vaccines, such as the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, are developed using fetal cell lines, specifically the HEK 293 cell line, which was derived from embryonal kidney tissue collected from an abortion in the 1970s. Another example is the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is developed using the PER.C6 cell line, originating from retinal tissue collected from an abortion in 1985. However, it is important to note that the final vaccine products do not contain fetal cells.
The misconception that vaccines contain "aborted fetuses" stems from the use of human cell lines in vaccine development. Viruses need to be cultured in cells because they cannot reproduce on their own. This has led to fear-mongering about "fetal parts" in vaccines, distorting the actual situation. While fetal cells may play a role in the manufacturing process, it is not as simple as vaccines containing crushed-up aborted fetuses.
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Ethical concerns about fetal cell lines
Anti-vaxxers have been claiming that vaccines are made from aborted babies. While fetal cell lines have been used in the manufacture of vaccines since the 1930s, no vaccine has ever contained tissue from aborted fetuses.
The use of fetal tissue from elective abortions is commonplace in the pharmaceutical industry and in medical research. Fetal cell lines are used in the testing, development, and production of some vaccines. The cells are grown in a laboratory and were derived from a few elective abortions performed decades ago. These cell lines are also used to test and advance our understanding of several routine drugs, including acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin.
The issue of abortion is contentious, and the use of fetal cell lines in vaccine development raises ethical concerns for some people, particularly those with religious convictions. The Catholic Church, for example, is opposed to abortion and has encouraged its members to use alternative vaccines produced without human cell lines if possible. However, the Vatican has clarified that "vaccinations recognized as clinically safe and effective can be used in good conscience, with the certain knowledge that the use of such vaccines does not constitute formal cooperation with the abortion".
For those who refuse a vaccine developed using fetal cell lines, alternatives exist, such as mRNA vaccines, which are not designed, developed, or produced in fetal cell lines. The development of vaccines in cell lines that are not derived from abortion may increase vaccination rates and may result in higher sales.
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The Catholic Church's stance on abortion
Anti-vaxxers have been claiming that vaccines are derived from aborted babies, demanding religious rights for taxpayer funding. However, this is not entirely true. While fetal material, specifically fetal cells, is often used in the manufacturing of some products, vaccines do require viruses to be cultured in cells as they cannot reproduce on their own.
The Church's position on abortion is further supported by the Thomistic Principle of Totality, which allows for the removal of a pathological part to preserve the life of the person, and the Doctrine of Double Effect. According to these principles, in an ectopic pregnancy where a woman's life is directly threatened, the removal of the tube containing the human embryo (salpingectomy) is the only moral action. The Church also teaches that victims of rape deserve immediate medical, emotional, and spiritual care, and that abortion is not an acceptable solution in cases of pregnancy caused by rape.
The use of fetal tissue from elective abortions is commonplace in the pharmaceutical industry and medical research, and the Church permits the temporary use of vaccines generated using aborted fetal tissue to protect children from preventable diseases until alternative vaccines that do not use aborted fetal tissue are available. However, the Church does recognize as morally legitimate certain acts that indirectly result in the death of the fetus, such as the removal of a cancerous womb. While the Church's official position is anti-abortion, many Catholics hold views that differ, ranging from anti-abortion positions with some exceptions to positions that accept the general legality and morality of abortion.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, some anti-vaxxers are claiming that vaccines are derived from aborted babies.
Fetal tissue from elective abortions is commonplace in the pharmaceutical industry and medical research. However, no vaccine has ever contained tissue from aborted fetuses.
No, vaccines do not contain DNA from aborted fetuses. However, some vaccine viruses are grown in cells that are descendants of tissue first collected from fetuses several decades ago.
The issue of abortion is contentious, and the use of fetal cell lines in vaccines raises ethical concerns for some people with religious convictions. These concerns include the lack of respect for fetal body parts, implication of material cooperation in abortion, and profiteering from abortion.
