From Sheri Nakken http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm

FROM NVPO

Dear Mr. And Mrs. Lambert:

Thank you for your letter concerning the use of aborted fetal tissue in vaccines. Human cell-line cultures are used during production of some vaccines such as varicella, rabies, inactivated polio virus, and hepatitis A. Some of these cell lines originated from fetal tissue obtained from legal abortions in the 1960s. The term "cell-line culture"
refers to the substrate substance that is used for the propagation of a live virus that is used in the production of a viral vaccine. Fetal tissue has not been used to produce licensed vaccines. These tissues were used to establish cell cultures, and it is these established cell cultures that have been used to propagate virus. Since cell lines can be maintained indefinitely, no additional aborted fetuses have been used since the cell lines were initiated in the 1960s.

The reasons for using fetal cell lines are: (1) fetal cells divide much more rapidly than adult cells, and (2) there is a safety advantage in using human, rather than animal, cell lines for development and manufacture of vaccines for humans. The decision to use fetal cell lines was scientific and did not imply support for abortions.

Vaccines have been proven over the decades to be safe and effective. I am glad to know that you understand the necessity of vaccines and their value. I hope that, before making a final decision, you will discuss these cncerns with your child's medical provider.

Sincerely, Robert Breiman, MD, Director NVPO

Note: Mr. Breiman left out the MMR, Merck uses aborted human fetal tissue in that vaccine. Interesting comment about a safety advantage in using human rather then animal cell lines. They use monkey, chicken, pork, etc animal cell lines in vaccines. Also, he didn't mention the various additives such as formaldehyde, thimerosal, aluminum, gelatin, etc.



Fetal Tissue and Vaccines. Some vaccines such as rubella and varicella are made from human cell-line cultures, and some of these cell lines originated from aborted fetal tissue, obtained from legal abortions in the 1960s. No new fetal tissue is needed to produce cell lines to make these vaccines, now or in the future.

In 1964, there were an estimated 20,000 babies born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in the United States. When women contract rubella disease during early pregnancy, this often causes miscarriage or neurological damage to the unborn child, resulting in the child suffering blindness, deafness and retardation. In 1993, the number of CRS cases was seven, reflecting a 99.9% reduction in this preventable disease since 1964.

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Rubella vax "The virus was adapted to and propagated in human diploid cell (WI-38) culture.1-2"
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Varicella vax "
Varivax (Varicella Vaccine) is a preparation of the Oka/Merck strain of live attenuated varicella virus. The virus was initially obtained from a child with natural varicella, then introduced into human embryonic lung cell cultures, adapted to and propagated in embryonic guinea pig cell cultures and finally propagated in human diploid cell cultures (WI-38). Further passage of the virus for varicella vaccine was performed at Merck Research Laboratories (MRL) in human diploid cell cultures (MRC-5) that were free of adventitious agents. This live, attenuated varicella vaccine is a lyophilized preparation containing sucrose, phosphate, glutamate, and processed gelatin as stabilizers."
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"
Hepatitis A vaccine, inactivated is a noninfectious hepatitis A vaccine.
The virus (strain HM175) is propagated in MRC5 human diploid cells. "

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MMR - Rubella portion Meruvax II (Rubella Virus Vaccine Live), the Wistar RA 27/3 strain of live attenuated rubella virus grown in human diploid cell (WI-38) culture.