PRO-LIFERS RANKLE FETAL-TISSUE USING VACCINE MAKERS AT SHAREHOLDERS MEETING

NORTH BRANCH, NJ, April 28, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – At a shareholders meeting for Merk pharmaceutical company last week, two pro-life groups who have acquired enough stock in the company to put forward resolutions had a resolution passed to force the company to make known its use of aborted fetal tissue in its vaccines.  Father Thomas Euteneuer, President of Human Life International revealed to the meeting that the company was profiting illicitly from the sale of vaccines manufactured with tissues from aborted babies.  Debi Vinnedge, Executive Director of Children of God for Life blasted the Board for their inherent disregard for the American public’s plea for ethical vaccines.  “I’ve heard a lot of talk today about how Merck is so highly committed to ethical behavior, but that is pretty hard to swallow in light of your business practices.” In a prepared statement to the Board, Vinnedge went on to say, “Certainly, abortion is an acutely painful, controversial, and bitterly divisive issue. Any manufacturer that deliberately and needlessly chooses to utilize abortion-derived cell lines causes great hardship for thousands, if not millions, of people worldwide by excluding a large number of them from the benefits of preventative medicine.  Whether by intent or indifference, such action constitutes an attempt to force the acceptance of fetal exploitation.”  Father Euteneuer explained that aborted fetal cell lines such as the newly created PER C6 which would be used in their new HIV vaccine come from aborted babies. “This fetal cell line was taken from the retinal tissue of an 18 week gestation baby and Merck just bought the rights on it last year. We demand that you give full disclosure of this activity to your shareholders!” His words were greeted with an immediate round of applause from the audience.  As the meeting drew to a close the shareholder votes were tallied and read. In order for the resolution to be adopted, 3% of the proxy votes would be needed. The pro-life resolution drew nearly 5% with final numbers to be added in the coming days.  It was a great victory for the Campaign and the pro-life movement for it now sets the stage for further action, much of which will be sorted out during the coming weeks.  See the website for COG For Life and HLI:  https://www.cogforlife.org https://www.hli.org