English version:

Protest against the use of tissue and cells from directly aborted fetuses or destroyed embryos in the production of viral vaccines and other medicines

Dear Sir/Madam:

The German Pro-life-organization “Doctors for Life” (“Aerzte für das Leben”) took the invitation of the FDA for the public statement of the population on the new industrial guidelines for the pharmaceutical industries on the use of various cell lines for the development of viral vaccines from the Internet.

Also as not U.S. Americans and even as doctors we are concerned particularly about this topic.

For the first time at the beginning of the sixties a human cell line came from the USA to Germany. It had been developed of the tissue of an aborted fetus. Even if certain vaccines still are produced with the help of just this cell line it was the beginning of a bad ethically dubious development: other human cell lines were produced in the following period (e.g. the newer one PER.C6^® of Crucell, Leiden, Netherlands) which are also derived from aborted fetuses. The time of abortion, i.e. the killing of the unborn child and the production of the human cell line must be timed narrowly since the fetal tissue is no longer usable otherwise.

In the meantime not only vaccines are produced by means of human cell lines from aborted fetuses but a number of other medicines are in the development and the market is already growing.

We invite scientists and researchers but also drug companies to develop in future ethical medicine and not to go the apparently simplest way of the use of embryonic or fetal cell lines since viruses increase best in these cells. There are partly ethical alternatives in other countries available (e.g. against German measles) which aren`t produced by means of human cell lines from aborted fetuses. We invite the Department of Health to allow imports of such ethical alternative vaccines which aren`t from human fetal tissue.

These are claims of Christians but also of doctors obliged to her professional ethics living in Germany. The United States still have a pioneer role in science, too. Use these role so that unborn children mustn’t die for medicines or new therapies (e.g. gene therapy) and that Christians and others don’t get into conscience need.

Sincerely,

Aerzte für das Leben e.V.

Dr. Elisabeth Leutner

Karl-Christ-Str. 1

D-69118 Heidelberg

Germany

Additional information:

We could be found under      www.aerzte-fuer-das-leben.de

Welcome to " Aerzte für das Leben e.V." (Doctors for Life)!

Our name defines our program. We will unconditionally stand up for the lives of those people, who entrust themselves to us. This does not mean that it would be our intention to save life at all costs. This would be forbidden by our   respect for human dignity.

Basic Principles Of Our Work

• Qualification in the subject on the basis of up to date and concrete scientific findings;
• medical skills, experience and know-how;
• medical conduct on the basis of the appreciated commitment towards the constitutional law of the Federal Republic of Germany which guarantees the right for life and the freedom from bodily harm for all;
• the Declaration of Geneva ,the modern version of the Hippocratic Oath, as the ethical basis of the medical profession;
• the Ten Commandments as the conception of the Christian world.

• Aerzte für das Leben ( Doctors for Life) respect the right of human life not to be violated as an indispensable basis of medical conduct;
• stand up for the protection of human life from fertilization to natural death;
• maintain this principle during the medical routine of everyday life in all areas of our society;
• will be standing up for this principle even if the public opinion disagrees;
• critically discuss current trends in the medical world as far as they basically concern the protection of human life.

Medical progress and development need a subtle and sincere control and observation  which has to be geared towards healing and the protection of life. It is not our intention to prejudge and reject developments in healthcare and we are not afraid of critical discussions with different points of view. However, new scientific findings and developments have to be judged by the fundamental appreciation of medical work and by the protection of human life. Thus we expect further sensitivity towards our beliefs and we hope that our classical medical position on the site of life will be preserved. There is no room for discussion on this point of view !

We define the task of a doctor to protect and save life, to protect and restore health and to relieve illness and complaints. We would maintain our ethical basis in our medical routine in everyday life, even if we found ourselves contrary to the public opinion.

The members of our society support...

• ... the protection of human life from fertilization to natural death which does not mean a prolongation of life at all costs, but means - should the situation arise - to let somebody die with dignity,
• ... the consideration and expansion of scientific, medical findings and bases,
• ... a medical professionalism in the sense of Christian philosophy and ethics.