Colorado pro-life groups push government, pharmaceuticals to end production of vaccines made from aborted stem cell lines

Denver, Colo., Oct 3, 2005 / 22:00 pm

Yesterday, the Colorado Right to Life, in conjunction with the group, Children of God for Life, announced a massive new initiative which will demand an end to the use of aborted fetal cell lines in vaccines.

The resolution, dated September 24^th, is the first of its kind to be produced by any state-based right to life organization. Supporters hope that it will be a model for national support

"People have a right to know what they're buying," said Debi Vinnedge, executive director of Children of God for Life. "If the FDA can require carbohydrate information on cookies, why shouldn't consumers know when aborted babies' DNA is being injected into their children's veins?"

The new resolution, which, CRTL said has been formally passed by their board and by delegates from all of their Colorado offices, comes in light of a recent Vatican directive calling on all pro-life groups to fight against the practice.

Although largely inspired by the Vatican document, the movement has become an ecumenical one, uniting many faith groups around the state.

Added Vinnedge: "In light of the recent Vatican Directive for all pro-lifers to fight this injustice, we see this as a wonderful Ecumenical response to that challenge."

To date, the Vatican said that there are two cell lines, which were taken from aborted humans in the 1960’s and 70’s that are currently used for the preparation of certain vaccines, specifically Rubella.

The June 9^th Vatican document, compiled at the request of COGFL, called the act, from the production of the vaccines to their marketing, a “cooperation in evil.”

It noted that “If someone rejects every form of voluntary abortion of human fetuses, would such a person not contradict himself/herself by allowing the use of these vaccines of live attenuated vaccines on their children?”

“Would it not”, the document continued, “be a matter of true (and illicit) cooperation in evil, even though this evil was carried out forty years ago?”

The CRTL resolution calls on pharmaceuticals to produce ethical alternatives “which are not byproducts of abortion” and supports the Fair Labeling and Informed Consent Act, which “requires that labeling indicate if vaccines are created using aborted fetal cell lines and that medical professionals must obtain informed consent from parents or patients before using such vaccines.”