Fetal tissue vaccines

[Aeden]

I’m going to college in New York in August :yyeess: but, since New York requires different vaccines for attendance at a school in the state, I am required to take them to attend, although I can probably choose to opt out for religious reasons. My question is this: what is the Vatican’s standpoint on immunizations produced using aborted fetal tissue? I know that abortions are wrong, but I have heard both yes and no, with the argument that the vaccines help preserve other lives. Can someone direct me to a formal document of some kind that gives the Vatican’s standpoint on this?

One of my main concerns is that, if the vaccine is forbidden, I may still be denied religious exception because the Church’s messages are apparently “too gray” and thus I can be denied access to the college and even have my acceptance revoked, apparently. I have to have the proper paperwork done in the next 5 days, so this is unfortunately not something I can afford to argue with a government about, unfortunately, given time constraints, since partial compliance is apparently considered legally to be non-compliance here.

 

[jediliz]

i’ve never heard of vaccines being required for COLLEGE ENTRY…?

cogforlife.org/fetalvaccines.htm
Not sure how often its updated, but gives a general idea of what vaccines contain aborted baby tissue.

 

[Aeden]

i’ve never heard of vaccines being required for COLLEGE ENTRY…?

cogforlife.org/fetalvaccines.htm
Not sure how often its updated, but gives a general idea of what vaccines contain aborted baby tissue.

It is in New York, apparently, and thus at my college, since New York has requirements on vaccinations for students. I know that some of them don’t have alternatives, like rubella, so Oliver can only hope for a religious exemption.

 

[Lasting_faith]

I really don’t know why New York want you to be inoculate before you can enter a school, but that is not the question you did ask.

It is almost certain, giving your age, I assume you are close to twenty, that you have been vaccinated with a vaccine that have some amount of fetal tissue. I know what The RCC say about abortion, but I do not know what it say about vaccine that are based on fetal tissue. But I think here is at least one priest who know. Let’s wait what he says.

 

[ExGratia]

From the same website above, here is a response from the Vatican: cogforlife.org/vaticanresponse.htm

I don’t think the Church’s message being “too gray” would be an issue with the state…religious beliefs that are personally held (i.e. your interpretation of them) would be argued with as long as you are able to adequately explain them. The Vatican has not released an encyclical outright condemning them, but many actions that an individual conscience could interpret as sinful do not have encyclicals.

The state I live in has philosophical exemptions, so anything goes as long as you can back it up by explaining it in writing. If you’ve never been vaccinated or had bad reactions to any, you may be able to get medical exemption if you have a cooperative physician (since a bunch of vaccines at the age of 17 would be pretty hard on your system).

And for Lasting faith: Whether or not the OP has ever received vaccines derived from aborted babies is not the issue. The OP may have, when his/her parents made that choice (with or without the proper information). But now it is up to the OP. Also, my primary wellness care is provided by a midwife whose oldest child is 29, and they never received any vaccines at all, so it is possible!

 

[Deus_tecum]

This is the age of insanity. A healthy person needs vaccines administered in order to attend college, but an HIV + immigrant is free to enter the country without any testing or follow-up.

 

[Aelred_Minor]

i’ve never heard of vaccines being required for COLLEGE ENTRY…?

cogforlife.org/fetalvaccines.htm
Not sure how often its updated, but gives a general idea of what vaccines contain aborted baby tissue.

I had to get vaccines to go to college (in New York). Never realized this wasn’t universal practice around the country or even the world. With lots of people all living together it only makes sense, though the use of fetal tissue to make some vaccines is just sick.

 

[ExGratia]

I had to get vaccines to go to college (in New York). Never realized this wasn’t universal practice around the country or even the world. With lots of people all living together it only makes sense, though the use of fetal tissue to make some vaccines is just sick.

I’m curious what vaccines are required. For example, young adults in communal living are not at risk for, say, whooping cough, so that would seem an odd requirement. Likewise, polio is only really a perceived risk for international travelers, not students. Being vaccinated against childhood illnesses seems odd indeed as one passes into adulthood.

 

[Aeden]

I’m curious what vaccines are required. For example, young adults in communal living are not at risk for, say, whooping cough, so that would seem an odd requirement. Likewise, polio is only really a perceived risk for international travelers, not students. Being vaccinated against childhood illnesses seems odd indeed as one passes into adulthood.

The requirements are Mumps, Measles and Rubella. While Measles has a non-abortion alternative in the US, the only Rubella alternative is available only in Japan for some reason and I haven’t been able to track down a non-fetal tissue Mumps vaccine, although I haven’t scoured the whole internet yet. Hopefully, I’ll have natural immunity to some, which can apparently happen if an ancestor was very sick with the disease in question at some point.

 

[MJJean]

I think vaccine for those that have no religious objection is a good idea when entering college considering how many students are not from the US and can possibly be carriers for diseases we haven’t had to deal with in literally decades. But if you do have religious objections, by all means sign the proper forms allowing you to attend without the vaccines.

I don’t know how your college handles these situations, but the local public school system here has a short 1 page form to fill out and that’s the end of it. They don’t ask for any proof. All you have to do is fill in your name and personal info, agree to accept all liability for the decision should you become ill,check the box that says the reason you are not being vaccinated is religious objection and sign and date the bottom of the form.

 

[ExGratia]

The requirements are Mumps, Measles and Rubella. While Measles has a non-abortion alternative in the US, the only Rubella alternative is available only in Japan for some reason and I haven’t been able to track down a non-fetal tissue Mumps vaccine, although I haven’t scoured the whole internet yet. Hopefully, I’ll have natural immunity to some, which can apparently happen if an ancestor was very sick with the disease in question at some point.

A rare disease in the U.S. If you are tested for immunity, I hope all goes well. Sometimes, though, you have to stand up for what you believe and you may have to in this case. Going off to college, it won’t be the last time you’ll have to.

 

[Boulder257]

So, has anyone actually answered the OP’s question about what the Church teaches?

 

[Boulder257]

Has anyone actually answered the OP’s original question?

 

[Boulder257]

My question is this: what is the Vatican’s standpoint on immunizations produced using aborted fetal tissue?

Has anyone actually answered the OP’s original question?

 

[ExGratia]

Has anyone actually answered the OP’s original question?

There is a link to a Vatican document in my initial post. My interpretation is that the vaccines are not moral, but it (along with most moral issues) is not part of, say canon law. Or an encyclical. The OP’s well formed conscience will need to be a guide.

 

[Boulder257]

There is a link to a Vatican document in my initial post. My interpretation is that the vaccines are not moral, but it (along with most moral issues) is not part of, say canon law. Or an encyclical. The OP’s well formed conscience will need to be a guide.

Thank you. I couldn’t seem to find an answer to the actual question. I appreciate you helping me find it!

 

[Lasting_faith]

Has anyone actually answered the OP’s original question?

Reading this far, no.

I think the problem are that nobody know if it is OK or not. What is important, and that goes for very country on our globe are that we must try to prevent any outbreake of any long gone and forgotten disease. And that can be done only by vaccin.

 

[TheWarriorMonk]

Regarding the OP, is this a case of you not being vaccinated, or not having proof of vaccination. I was faced with a similar situation in college. I knew I had been vaccinated, but my records were incomplete. Instead of having a whole series of unnecessary vaccinations, I opted for a blood titer. The blood titer will show if you have the antibodies to these varies diseases, which I had, and sent the results over to the college.

 

[MJJean]

Regarding the OP, is this a case of you not being vaccinated, or not having proof of vaccination. I was faced with a similar situation in college. I knew I had been vaccinated, but my records were incomplete. Instead of having a whole series of unnecessary vaccinations, I opted for a blood titer. The blood titer will show if you have the antibodies to these varies diseases, which I had, and sent the results over to the college.

Want a laugh?

I am the crazy dog lady. Have 4 of them and an very into animal health and husbandry. A lot of pet owners are wary of vaccination and over vaccination. Quite a few members of a dog forum I frequent run titers yearly for their dogs and only vaccinate when necessary. Yet it never crossed my mind to suggest a titer for a human… D’oh!

 

[Joe_5859]

There is a link to a Vatican document in my initial post. My interpretation is that the vaccines are not moral, but it (along with most moral issues) is not part of, say canon law. Or an encyclical. The OP’s well formed conscience will need to be a guide.

That’s not the whole story, though. Note this paragraph from the document:

As regards the diseases against which there are no alternative vaccines which are available and ethically acceptable, it is right to abstain from using these vaccines if it can be done without causing children, and indirectly the population as a whole, to undergo significant risks to their health. However, if the latter are exposed to considerable dangers to their health, vaccines with moral problems pertaining to them may also be used on a temporary basis. The moral reason is that the duty to avoid passive material cooperation is not obligatory if there is grave inconvenience. Moreover, we find, in such a case, a. proportional reason, in order to accept the use of these vaccines in the presence of the danger of favouring the spread of the pathological agent, due to the lack of vaccination of children. This is particularly true in the case of vaccination against German measles [15].

The bottom line is that the CDF is saying that every effort ought to be made to utilize vaccines obtained via moral means. And every effort must be made to produce moral alternatives for these vaccines derived from fetal cell lines. But if there are no other moral alternatives and there is a health risk, parents could licitly use those vaccines.