From Catholic News Service

Doctors urge substitutes for abortion-linked vaccines

By Nancy Frazier, O'Brien Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Catholics should pressure pharmaceutical companies and government authorities to quickly come up with alternatives to vaccines derived from cells taken from aborted fetuses, according to an association of U.S. Catholic physicians.

The Catholic Medical Association, based in Needham, Mass., said in a mid-May statement that "physicians and patients are permitted to use the vaccines when no effective alternative is available." But patients may decide not to use vaccines derived from aborted fetuses as long as the refusal does not place children or the general public at significant risk, the statement added.

Vaccines derived from cell lines that used tissue taken from voluntarily aborted fetuses include those for rubella (German measles) and hepatitis A, marketed under the names Meruvax, Vaqta and Havrix.

When alternative versions of the vaccines are available, "they must be used in place of those produced by immoral means," the Catholic Medical Association said.

The organization, founded in 1932, describes itself as the nation's largest professional association of Catholic doctors but says it does not give out membership figures.

The statement was drawn from a June 2005 document of the Pontifical Academy for Life called "Moral Reflections on Vaccines Prepared From Cells Derived From Aborted Human Fetuses," the association said.

The Vatican academy said Catholics have a "moral duty to continue to fight and to employ every lawful means" to convince the pharmaceutical industry, government agencies and national health systems to make ethical alternatives available.

"The bottom line is that vaccines derived from abortions should mainly be avoided and used only when alternatives are unavailable," said Robert Saxer, executive vice president of the Catholic Medical Association. "But there is really no reason why those alternatives should be unavailable.

"The pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the vaccines have the ability and know-how to produce versions of these vaccines which do not depend on cell lines from aborted fetuses," he added. "They should be pressured to develop those vaccines to meet the health needs of those who have religious and ethical objections to abortion."

Saxer said the Food and Drug Administration could allow licensing and importation of "safe and effective ethical alternative vaccines," including Takahashi for rubella and Aimmugen for hepatitis A, "and it has a moral duty to exercise that authority."

Richard Doerflinger, deputy director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, said his office would work with the Catholic Medical Association and other groups "to help make alternative vaccines readily available in the United States."

"In this way we can ensure that concerned Catholics and other pro-life Americans will not confront the dilemma of having to accept a vaccine based on morally illicit sources, or risk compromising the health of themselves and others," Doerflinger added.

The mumps outbreak that began in Iowa and has now spread to 13 states illustrates the problems surrounding the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, part of which is derived from tissue obtained from abortions, the Catholic Medical Association said.

"The concerns raised in Iowa show that this is a real issue for many people, and that pharmaceutical companies and the FDA have a responsibility to address these concerns and provide vaccines that can be used by all," Saxer said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta has reported 3,000 confirmed, probable or suspected cases of mumps -- including more than 1,700 in Iowa -- since the outbreak began last December. 

Copyright (c) 2003 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service.