What Can My Catholic Daughter Do To Win This Battle?

Question

My daughter & her family are strong members of the Galveston-Houston Diocesan. The children go to the Catholic school there. Our daughter & her husband decided not to have their 2nd child vaccinated because their first child was born healthy but after immunizations he changed & was later diagnosed with autism. Their 2nd child did receive some immunizations but the school has said that if they do not get the last shot then he will be taken out of school by Sept. 11th. My daughter will not get him this shot because about a year ago she read where the Catholic church counsel (I think that's what it is called) announced that the vaccine is made from stem cells of aborted fetuses. Being a very strong Catholic my daughter will not get this shot for her son. The only diocesan that is doing this is the Galveston- Houston one. I say because our family has already experienced one child who was born healthy & after immunizations was diagnosed with autism, that that in itself should be a good enough reason to hold off on this vaccination. Why would the head of this diocesan insist on someone receiving a shot produced from aborted fetuses? My daughter has talked to her priest & also a reporter from the Houston Chronicle to try to get help. Is there anyone out there with any suggestions? Please pray for this situation. I do not believe that the majority of christians realize that several immunizations are made from stem cells of aborted fetuses. Thank you!

Answer 1

Not sure where your daughter got this information because I just talked with a leading researcher in immunizations and he indicated that aborted fetuses are never used for immunizations, and in fact he said he couldn't fathom what an aborted fetus would be used for in immunizations. Additionally he said there is no link between immunizations and autism.

I will pray for your family that this too might pass.  

Answer 2

Your daughter should go to her child's pediatrician and explain her reservations about using this particular vaccine.  She should request that a vaccine that does not use stem cells be used, if indeed this vaccine uses them.

Answer 3

Vaccinations are made from virus grown in chicken eggs and have nothing to do with embryonic stem cells.

There is no connection between vaccinations and autism.

Tell her to get the child immunized as she has nothing to worry about.

EDIT: Your additional details suggest that your are not looking for honest answers, but validation. Vaccines are not made from aborted fetuses.

Answer 4

i doubt that there is much that can be done since the government requires vaccinations or certain illnesses to prevent there occurance. i have never heard of vaccines being made from stem cells, do you have a source, im interested.

Answer 5

<<What Can My Catholic Daughter Do To Win This Battle? My daughter & her family are strong members of the Galveston-Houston Diocesan. The children go to the Catholic school there. Our daughter & her husband decided not to have their 2nd child vaccinated because their first child was born healthy but after immunizations he changed & was later diagnosed with autism.>>

The child was born with autism, even though the symptons did not begin to appear until a later date, sometime after the vaccinations. Autism is something you acquire, not something you "catch" from a bad vaccine.

<<Their 2nd child did receive some immunizations but the school has said that if they do not get the last shot then he will be taken out of school by Sept. 11th.>>

The school has the right - and the responsibility - to make sure the student body has had all the necessary vaccinations.

<<My daughter will not get him this shot because about a year ago she read where the Catholic church counsel (I think that's what it is called) announced that the vaccine is made from stem cells of aborted fetuses. Being a very strong Catholic my daughter will not get this shot for her son. The only diocesan that is doing this is the Galveston- Houston one.>>

I've looked up a few articles on this subject and none of them were clear as to whether the cell lines came from embryonic stem cells or adult stem cells.

If the cell lines come from embryonic stem cells, there is of course, moral issues to contend with here.

If the cell lines come from adult stem cells, there are no moral implications to contend with here. However, there is the issue of such vaccines indeed causing autism is some recipients.

<<I say because our family has already experienced one child who was born healthy & after immunizations was diagnosed with autism, that that in itself should be a good enough reason to hold off on this vaccination.>>

There is that possibility, yes. But let's not overlook the fact that the presence of autism, especially mild autism, can take years before it can be diagnosed.

<<Why would the head of this diocesan insist on someone receiving a shot produced from aborted fetuses?>>

Like I said, none of the articles i found specifically said those cell lines came from embryonic stem cells. If the cell lines came from adult stem cells, there is nothing immoral about that.

You seem to have a more legitimate case with these vaccines seemingly causing autism in otherwise healthy recipients. Perhaps you should make this case to the school.

<<My daughter has talked to her priest & also a reporter from the Houston Chronicle to try to get help. Is there anyone out there with any suggestions? Please pray for this situation. I do not believe that the majority of christians realize that several immunizations are made from stem cells of aborted fetuses. Thank you!>>

Again, none of the articles I read specifically said the cell lines used in making these vaccines specifically come from embryopnic stem cells. If they are produced by an adult stem cell line, there is nothing immoral about this. You need to find out for sure before making this case to the Church because it does make a moral difference.

There does seem to be little denying that these vaccines do cause otherwise healthy recipients to come down with autism. There's evidence aplenty of this. Make the scientific case, not the moral case, to the school.

Answer 6

The fact is they have statistics about immunizatiions and autism..no one knows for sure..here is what i do know ..some of our childhood diseases are coming back..i fear these viruses may be stronger ..our children don't know what it's like to have a disease like diptheria or polio.. i still remember going to school with children on crutches and braces..white headed teens from scarlet fever..my mother had polio even  having been vaccinated she said it was torture for about 2 years.  parents must do what they think is best and all we can do is pray.

Answer 7

vaccinations are made from the dead or weakened versions of the virus they fight and I think it is unlikely that a virus causes mental handicapping  

Answer 8

Thank you for the information, if it's true.  I agree the shot is unnecessary.  They should explain to ppl beforehand before a treatment, shot, etc. if it has any risks to it.

No one should receive a shot with stem cells of aborted children.  

Answer 9

Seems to be a lot of misunderstanding out there with regard to aborted fetal tissue in vaccines.  The truth is there were 2 aborted fetuses from the 60's whose stem cells have been kept alive.  The cells are used as a growth medium in the manufacture of some vaccines.  However, there is no fetal tissue in the actual vaccine and a continual supply of aborted fetuses is not needed.  

Answer 10

Where did they get their information that the immunizations were made using cells from aborted fetuses?  And why are you believing them without investigating it for yourself, hm?

In order to attend most schools some immunizations are required although there are cases of exceptions based on religion.  However, I have not ever heard of a case where a Catholic school is going against Catholic Church Counsel.    

Are you sure all the facts as you present them are accurate?

Answer 11

For the people who don't believe you:

"Rubella vaccine virus has been isolated from the aborted fetus of one (3%) of 35 rubella-susceptible women who received RA 27/3 strain vaccine during pregnancy."

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml...

Answer 12

Instead of going to a religious site to talk about scientific matters, why don't you actually go and FIND OUT what is in that vaccine.

I doubt VERY HIGHLY its made from aborted fetuses.  Its the mercury you may want to watch out for.  As for your child having autism, that could be coincidence, or it could be linked. Again, mercury.  But if you are going to do research, please PLEASE go to actual scientific sites.  Religion likes to slant things for their own benefits.  Why would they Lie about it? Because they would.

Answer 13

The first thing I would like to say is that I do understand that you are concerned first and foremost about the health and welfare of the child.

However, you seem to be in possession of a great deal of misinformation.

First, while there has been some talk of ONE particular vaccine having a possible relationship to autism, the connection has never been proven, AND even if it had been, the suspected compound is no longer used in the production of that vaccine.

Second, autism is rarely a disorder that is apparent from birth.  It first starts to become noticeable right around the age that children in the U.S. receive their first vaccines.  This is true both of children who were and were not vaccinated.

Third, vaccinations are not made from stem cells.  Vaccines are made from a weaken strain of the disease they are intended to prevent... Stem cells cannot develop into cells of a completely different organism, which makes them essentially useless for deriving vaccines for diseases that originate from viruses and bacteria.  Whoever told you otherwise either doesn't know what they're talking about, is talking about an entirely different kind of vaccine (which to date has not even been approved by the FDA for human testing), or is intentionally spreading misinformation.

Vaccines are important not only for the child receiving them, but for all of the other children that child comes in contact with.  If you have an immunity to a disease, you are much less likely to become a vector for that disease, which means better control and prevention of outbreaks... and in a world where antibiotics are rapidly becoming useless against new strains, we need that level of control and prevention.

Answer 14

Frankly, even if fetuses weren't used, the only people who would really benefit from the flu shot are people who are likely to die if they come down with the flu.  That's why I never bothered to get it, and I didn't even know about the fetus thing.  It's a waste of money regardless of where the cells come from.  And you should tell the school that, because they clearly don't know what they're doing.  Requiring a vaccine that doesn't work, against a disease that only causes real harm to people with compromised immune systems, is really bad policy.

And autism can't be contracted through a vaccine.  Autism does not work that way at all.

Answer 15

instead of worrying over what some catholic counsel has to say....have you read about what is in the water supply?? The numerous trace chemicals and drugs, etc.? that should be a better item to check...

Answer 16

Immunisations are not made from aborted foetuses.  Think about it.  Vaccinations give you weaked versions of the bacteria/virus that causes the disease so you'll produce antibodies to fight against it so you then won't get the disease if you come across the bacteria again.  Of what possible use would aborted foetuses be in this situation?

Autism does not come from immunisations - numerous studies have shown this.  This idea came from a suggestion by a doctor who looked at 12 autistic children who had had an MMR injection and said that maybe they should be given the 3 vaccinations separately instead of all at once.  There is no link between autism and vaccinations.

Answer 17

Self righteous Catholic propaganda...

Never occurs to anyone that the use of these cells are God's way of providing for those children who are born?

Answer 18

There is no sensible reason to believe that any vaccine can cause autism or any kind of behavioral disorder. Typically, symptoms of autism are first noted by parents as their child begins to have difficulty with delays in speaking after age one. MMR vaccine is first given to children at 12-15 months of age. Since this is also an age when autism commonly becomes apparent, it is not surprising that autism follows MMR immunization in some cases. However, by far the most logical explanation is coincidence, not cause-and-effect.

Magical thinking (i.e. prayer) to some invisible sky daddy to make you, or anyone else for that matter, special and fancy in HIS s**y and powerful magiks is not only a complete waste of time it is also utter lunacy!

Answer 19

Stem cells are not used to make vaccinations.

.

Answer 20

Maybe its a sign from God to tell them to find another religion. I am an ex-catholic and left the church for many, many reasons. They do so many things that are not right in that church. The bible tells us so, not THEIR bible, with those added books but the bible commonly used by other Christians. Here, in Canada, a child does NOT have to be immunized, but they cannot attend school if there is an outbreak of certain things. I am assuming this is because of the multi-culture people in our country. I find the catholic church very strict in lots of cases yet so flexible in cases where they should NOT be.My daughter was married in the catholic church, she was pregnant when they got married, which was fine, then after the baby was born, they lived together for 8 months , yet the church ANNULLED the marriage !! The reason why I believe this happened is because the other family were prominent catholics, and they wanted their son (who was married to my daughter) to remarry. If that ain't hypocritical, then I don't know what is. Anyway, I could go on for pages about what I have against that church.I think your daughter is fighting a losing battle to be honest with you :(

Answer 21

She may refuse to imunize on religious grounds.. and still enroll her children in public or private school....

I hope she knows the risks she is exposing her children to... they far outweigh the risks of vaccinating...

I have an autistic son who was imunized AFTER he was diagnosed as being  ASD

Answer 22

I didn't realize that they were, thanks for the information.

My guess on your daughter's situation, is that her fight is with the State, not the Church. The school has to follow the laws of Texas and like all the other states in America they probably have immunization laws.

It's a difficult situation. Think what would happen if we stopped immunizing children altogether. As awful as what happened to your grandchild is, if many parents stopped getting their kids immunized we'd begin to see brain damage, blindness, deafness and even death caused by the diseases these shots prevent.

What you need is the ability to say that if one child in the family has problems and they can be linked to a vaccine, that subsequent children in that family can forgo the vaccine. But again this would be a state law and that is who you would have to take it up with. I'm sure you can understand that the Diocese cannot go against the law or they may lose their license to have a school at all.  

Answer 23

I highly doubt that the vaccine caused autism and vaccines aren't made from stem-cells, but rather vaccines contain dead or dying virus cells.

Do your research, it's always best to get information about a horse from the horses mouth and not from someone in city who has never seen a horse.

Answer 24

I will pray that God will help them find a solution. I know many will think that is the dumbest thing to tell someone, but it is the greatest thing I can do for you. God Bless.

Answer 25

Render unto Caesar and all that.  I seriously doubt the Council of Bishops issued any such proclamation about this vaccine's origins.  In any case, while the church is virulently opposed to foetal stem-cell research, it has no opposition to stem cell research derived from placental and adult sources.  I would suggest strongly your daughter has her child vaccinated, unless she can prove the Autism was a direct result of the prior vaccination, and not just normal manifestation after age 5.  G-d bless you.

Answer 26

Well I sympathize and support the decision.

I agree it's not completely clear what causes autism, but only a fool would completely rule out vaccines given that the fist case of autism developed shortly after the first vaccines started to be given.

Originally of course they thought it was the mercury in vaccines that was causing it and that was removed a few years ago, and yet autism persists.

Personally I think it's more likely the number of vaccines given at one time, and being given at too young an age.

What I did with my daughters was:

1. To read detailed info about every vaccine suggested LONG BEFORE I consented to any.  I also asked specifically about any mercury that might be present in the vaccines.

2. Only 2-3 vaccines in any one month.

3. No stupid ones like HPV or Hepatitis.  They have no chance of contracting those as infants, and thus they are unnecessary until older.

4. We focused exclusively on one like polio & measles which are clearly threats to children's health.

5. We didn't do any vaccines until they were 6 months of age and older.

But to your question, my kids come before ANYTHING, family, friends and church.  If my church/school would not admit my kids because of my immunization choices (which are not legal in public schools) I would find a different school; not ifs, ands or buts.

Answer 27

All I did was print out all the information about the origin of certain (not all) vaccines and give them to our parish school with a letter requesting religious exemption. Which felt weird because, you know, we're Catholic, the school is Catholic, the parish is Catholic.

Anyway, they said okay and are keeping it on file. They did not make my kids get the vaccines that were made from aborted fetuses, but I did have to get any vaccines that were not made from aborted fetuses.

I don't know what other kinds of support your daughter can get. I believe the Catholic Family Medical Association is opposed to vaccines made from aborted humans, but I don't know about their position related to vaccines and autism -- research goes both sides on that one. Since they already have one child with autism, though, I totally get why they are taking no chances. I wouldn't, either.

Answer 28

Do you have absolute proof that those shots are from aborted fetuses, because that sounds odd.

Also, saying that the vaccine caused the boy's autism appears to be the Arguing from False Cause fallacy. Just because the vaccine happened before he was diagnosed, does not mean the vaccine caused the autism. He likely had autism the entire time. When he was diagnosed is not when he "got it".

Answer 29

Hmmm.

What's the name of the product's? That's the only way of finding out, right?

Sometimes people throw out some wild accusations out there.

According to the Family Research Council (wash DC) nothing has ever been developed from stem cells in 27 years. They have a free guidebook in .pdf format that points that out.

I'll pass making any judgment on this question. More info is needed.

Best regards.