PRESS RELEASE:  JULY 18, 2002

NEW EBOLA AND HIV VACCINES WILL USED ABORTED FETAL CELL LINE IN PRODUCTION

(Clearwater Fl)  Children of God for Life announced the discovery of plans by
Crucell, N.V. and the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institutes of
Health's Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to jointly develop a new
vaccine against ebola.

The vaccine will be manufactured using Crucell's PER C6 cell line, which is
derived from the retinal tissue of an 18 week gestation fetus, aborted
because, according to Dr. Van Der Eb at a recent hearing with the FDA, "The
women wanted to get rid of the fetus. …The father was not known and that was,
in fact, the reason why the abortion was requested."

In the FDA report found at
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/01/transcripts/3750t1_01.pdf Dr. Van Der
Eb goes on to say that, "PER C6 was made just for the pharmaceutical
manufacturing of adenovirus vectors."  He adds, "I realize that this sounds a
bit commercial, but PER C6 were made for that particular purpose."

Children of God for Life has fought this issue before.  Last fall when the
Federal Government awarded a contract to Acambis for the production of a new
smallpox vaccine using the aborted fetal cell line MRC-5, a massive public
protest quickly mounted.  Thousands of letters poured into the offices of the
CDC, FDA, HHS and the pharmaceutical companies involved in the bid process,
demanding alternatives.  Thirty days later, a second contract was awarded to
Acambis Baxter for 155 million more doses - but this time, they will use Vero
cells, not MRC-5.

"When are the pharmaceutical companies and our government going to wake up
and realize this is not the direction our country needs to take in developing
important medical treatments and vaccines?", Children of God for Life's
Executive Director Debi Vinnedge stated.  "We already have an existing
campaign and petition against vaccines utilizing aborted fetal tissue - MMR,
Chickenpox and Hepatitis-A and so many parents are refusing to use these
vaccines as they learn the truth about their source.  They have a right to
protect the health and safety of their families without violating their
religious beliefs or contributing to the culture of death in this country."

The non-profit, pro-life organization has already received over 450,000
signatures in their Campaign for Ethical Vaccines.  Vinnedge admits the
current situation is frightening because although many people would consider
the dangers of something like chickenpox to be nominal, smallpox and ebola
are well known to be deadly.

"When an on-line poll was conducted by WorldNet Daily News on whether people
would use a smallpox vaccine derived from aborted fetal tissue, 56% of the
people said they would refuse it, 34% said it would not deter them and
another 10% were undecided.  The public has a right to expect our government
to take the necessary measures to ensure that the entire population can be
protected against deadly, infectious disease - not just those who see nothing
wrong with profiting from abortion."

The revelation of the PER C6 cell line which was developed in the Netherlands
also turned up a number of new alliances formed with American pharmaceuticals
and Crucell.  Under Phase 2 Clinical Trials is a new HIV vaccine being
developed by Merck which will also use the PER C6 cell line. 

"What do these people at Merck think?"  Vinnedge wants to know.  "Do they
think that people with HIV are somehow less sensitive to abortion than the
general public?  Clearly they simply do not care about anyone or anything
other than their bottom line!  We are ready to support any company who
promises to do it better - and we can guarantee them a solid return on their
investment!"

Vinnedge is asking the public to respond once again by writing formal letters
of protest to Tommy Thompson at the Department of Health and Human Services
as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Merck.  Any email
correspondence to these offices should be carbon copied to
ebola@cogforlife.org as the organization will track the public response. 
Addresses are as follows:

The Honorable Tommy Thompson           
Department of Health & Human Services               
200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Room 615-F              
Washington, D.C. 20201                         
EMAIL: hhsmail@os.dhhs.gov

Centers for Disease Control
1600 Clifton Road NE Mail Stop D66
Atlanta, GA  30333 
EMAIL from website at: Website: http://www.cdc.gov/netinfo.htm

Isabelle Claxton, Executive Director Public Affairs
Merck & Company
770 Sumneytown Pike   P.O. Box 4
Westpoint, PA  19486 - No email address available
   
For more information, contact Children of God for Life through their website
at www.cogforlife.org or write to: 2130 Catalina Drive, Clearwater, FL  33764
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