News & Views: Answering Questions About Human DNA and Human Proteins in Vaccines
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Vaccine Update for Healthcare ProvidersPublished on
Vaccine Update for Healthcare ProvidersCharlotte A. Moser, Assistant Director, and Paul A. Offit, Director, Vaccine Education Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
We often get questions about the use of cell lines from aborted fetuses in vaccines. In this article, we will address the issues and provide information about the resources available to share with parents.
The only vaccines that are made in human cells are:
The viruses were grown in cells obtained from elective terminations of pregnancies which occurred in the early 1960s. Since that time, the cell lines have been maintained in the laboratory. No further sources of fetal cells are necessary.
The questions about use of fetal tissues generally fall into one of three categories:
Christian Science does not believe in using any vaccines; however, when outbreaks have occurred in communities with Christian Scientists, some have agreed to be vaccinated. Their concerns are not related to the use of fetal tissue, but rather to the use of modern medical interventions.
Given the position of the Catholic Church on abortion, some concerns have revolved around the use of cell lines from aborted fetuses. However, reviews by both the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life and the National Catholic Bioethics Center have determined that vaccines grown in these cell lines do not defy the religion’s doctrine:
The concern about DNA is that it can cause changes in the vaccine recipient’s DNA. This is unlikely for two reasons:
The concern about contamination of vaccines with human proteins seems to be relatively new. Because viruses are purified during vaccine production, it is unlikely that proteins from the human cells used to grow them would survive intact or in quantities sufficient to cause harm.
Contributed by: Charlotte A. Moser, MS, Paul A. Offit, MD
Categories: News and Views About Vaccines, Vaccine Update Oct. 2011
Materials in this section are updated as new information and vaccines become available. The Vaccine Education Center staff regularly reviews materials for accuracy.
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