Lansing, Mich. — In response to an Oakland County court case involving a mother who has chosen not to immunize her children with vaccines cultured using aborted fetal tissue, Michigan’s largest prolife organization issued a statement verifying the mother’s claim and supporting her right of conscience in refraining from using those vaccines.

Right to Life of Michigan Legislative Director Ed Rivet said, “There is absolutely no question that a significant number of common vaccines are directly cultured using cells from aborted unborn children. That is how the vaccines are produced. We have long supported the right of parents to refrain from using them or to request alternative versions cultured in untainted cell lines.”

Rivet said, “These cells came from healthy babies who were electively aborted, not from miscarried babies. The unfortunate part is that all of these vaccines can be produced without the use of aborted fetal cells. The pharmaceutical industry can eliminate this entire controversy by using other cell lines to produce vaccines.”

Right to Life of Michigan has long made information available about the connection between abortion and vaccines and has previously testified before the Michigan Legislature in support of parents’ right of conscience in refusing to use these vaccines.

All of the common childhood immunizations have versions cultured using aborted fetal cells, for example MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) and DTPP (Diptheria, Tentanus, Pertussis, Polio). Some few versions are not grown using fetal cells. No abortion-free alternatives exist for Chickenpox, Hepatitis A, and MMR.

Rivet said, “Right to Life of Michigan will continue to expose the truth about these vaccines, continue to support parents who refrain from using them, and continue to urge the creation of ethically-produced vaccines.”

Background information:
LifeNotes: Vaccines list and background