The Obama Administration has chosen to back Ebola vaccines made using cell lines cultivated from aborted babies, despite the fact that the government itself acknowledged that moral alternatives could also be used, according to a pro-life organization that specializes in advocating for morally produced vaccines.
Children of God for Life says it has discovered that several Ebola vaccines in development for use worldwide are being made using the aborted fetal cell lines.
The proof of the use of the controversial cell lines in the manufacture of the vaccines is found in the patents.
According to the patents, Glaxo SmithKline (GSK) and NIAID are jointly developing their ChAd3 vector for delivering the Ebola virus gene using HEK-293 (human embryonic kidney) cells.
The HEK-293 cell line was created in the early 1970s, and was cultivated from the kidney of baby that was aborted in The Netherlands.
Likewise, NewLink Genetics of Iowa used HEK-293 cells for their VSV-EBOV Ebola vaccine in Canada, while Johnson and Johnson/Crucell developed theirs using PER C6 cells, derived from retinal tissue of an 18 week gestation aborted baby.
Human tests using the NewLink vaccine began on human volunteers in the U.S. on Monday.
“There is absolutely no reason to use aborted fetal cell lines,” stated Debi Vinnedge, Director of Children of God for Life.
In a letter to the Department of HHS, the NIH, the FDA and NIAID, Vinnedge points out that the US Department of Health has itself listed other viable options to using the embryonic cell lines, such as yeast, insect, plant, bacteria, CHO, BHK, heLa and COS cells.
The DoH patent states: “The attenuated [ebola] virus can replicate well in a cell line that lacks interferon functions, such as Vero cells.”
“At least two other Ebola vaccines in development by the University of Texas and GeoVax are using either Vero cells or chicken eggs,” said Vinnedge. “Likewise, therapeutic products such as ZMapp (LeafBio) and TKM-Ebola (Tekmira) are using plant or Vero cells”
“It is completely irresponsible of this Administration to put these problem vaccines on fast-track for approval and ignore the fact that a massive number of people may very well refuse them,” added Vinnedge. “Why not fast track a product that everyone can use in good conscience?”
Children of God for Life is urging the public to contact US government agencies and their members of Congress requesting that they expedite the morally acceptable alternatives.
Contact:
Sylvia M. Burwell, Secretary
Dept of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue
Washington, DC 20201
Dr Francis S. Collins, Director
National Institutes of Health
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20892
Dr Anthony Fauci, Director
NIAID Office of Communications and Government Relations
5601 Fishers Lane, MSC 9806
Bethesda, MD 20892-9806
Margaret A. Hamburg, Commissioner
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
10903 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20993