Press Release
Canadian Physicians ask Federal and Provincial Health Ministers to Provide Alternative to Ethically Controversial Childhood Vaccine

OTTAWA – Among all the medical advances of the past two centuries, immunization may have brought the greatest improvement to our health and life expectancy. It provides the best possible protection against some very serious diseases. Canadian Physicians for Life recommends that all adults and children be vaccinated according to the current national and provincial immunization guidelines.
           
Some vaccines protect against bacteria, and some against viruses.  Canadian Physicians for Life has become aware that some viral vaccines were developed from tissue from aborted fetuses. (A list of some of those vaccines can be found on CPL’s website.) This presents a serious moral dilemma to those who might view the use of such abortion-related vaccines as a form of cooperation with an immoral act, but who are also aware of the dire health consequences of failing to immunize themselves or their children.
           
It has been brought to our attention that legally approved and effective vaccines are available which have been created from sources other than abortion-derived fetal cell lines. Specifically, the infant vaccine, PENTACEL (diphtheria, tetanus,  pertussis, polio and Haemophilus B), contains the MRC-5 fetal cell line while PEDIACEL (same diseases) does not. Both vaccines are Health Canada approved but only PENTACEL is marketed in Canada. PENTACEL is publicly funded in the regular childhood vaccination programs.
           
For PEDIACEL to be available to Canadians requires the recognition of these concerns by Health Canada and, most importantly, the provincial vaccine acquisition programs, and it is this recognition and assistance which Canadian Physicians for Life is requesting at this time.