(Date)

Food and Drug Administration

Dr. Bernard Schwetz, Commissioner
Federal Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD  20895

Dear Dr. Schwetz,

            I am writing to request your assistance in obtaining safe, effective vaccines for the American people that are not dependant on the destruction of innocent human life.  .           

The Campaign for Ethical Vaccines petitions our American drug manufacturers to produce safe, effective alternatives for Rubella/MMR, Chickenpox and Hepatitis-A, which are not derived from aborted fetal tissue.  There are currently many vaccines that have been propagated in the human fetal cell lines, WI-38 and MRC-5, which were taken from the lung tissue of two electively aborted babies.  Of these, the above three offer no alternate source, forcing millions of Americans to compromise their moral or religious beliefs in order to protect the health and safety of their children.

More alarming is the fact that as this information is slowly made known to the public thousands of pro-life parents and physicians are refusing to use these vaccines.  Many have filed for and obtained exemptions through their State health departments based on religious convictions.  And while this may solve the issue of moral dilemmas, it does not address the problem of leaving our children vulnerable to these diseases.  We have notified Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control of our concerns. We realize that unless something is done soon, our country could be facing a serious public health problem and possibly, epidemics.

 And since our pleas to the pharmaceutical companies have been ignored, the Campaign has sought the assistance of the Kitasato Institute in Japan, who is willing to work with the FDA in importing their Takahashi Strain into the United States.  This rubella vaccine has been on the Japanese market since September 1986 and uses rabbit cell lines in production.  We also know that Vero cell lines or chick embryos are other acceptable solutions. There is also a licensed rubella vaccine that is no longer manufactured by Merck, but is FDA approved and could be re-produced.  It is this sort of technology we would like the FDA to consider when introducing new products to the American public.

Please listen to the voices of the parents who only want to protect their families without compromising their moral convictions.  We ask that you process the request for the Japanese rubella alternative at once and pressure the pharmaceutical companies to research vaccines that all Americans can use - not just those who see nothing wrong with using  destroyed human life in order to benefit another.  

Sincerely,