iFamNews has previously reported on how the Covid-19 health crisis is connected to pro-life concerns, specifically how U.S. Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, has tried to use coronavirus relief legislation as a Trojan horse for accomplishing items on her pro-abortion agenda.
More recently, another connection and concern regarding Covid-19 and abortion has been raised by prominent pro-life leaders: namely, that some of the potential vaccines in development are being synthesized using cell lines that were originally taken from the remains of aborted children.
In an April letter to the Food and Drug Administration, and copied to President Trump, Vice President Pence, and HHS Secretary Azar, several prominent faith leaders, pro-life activists, and bioethicists asked the Trump administration “to ensure that Americans will have access to vaccines that are free from any connection to abortion.” The full letter can be read below.
In an interview with Deseret News, bioethicist John Di Camillo of the National Catholic Bioethics Center said, “Nobody should be developing vaccines using these cell lines. Period.” The cell lines he is referring to, which are unfortunately commonly used in development of therapies and vaccines, include the controversial PER.6C line taken from a fetus aborted at 18-weeks of gestation in 1985. You can learn more about these controversial practices and ethical quandaries in the excellent article at Deseret News by Jennifer Graham.
We will continue to track the development of this story, and the development of these vaccines, here at iFamNews, and report on any updates that may emerge.
[Ed: Here is the text of the letter sent to the Trump administration; it can also be read here in a new tab/window:]