2006D-0383
  

  
 Characterization and Qualification of Cell Substrates and Other Biological Starting Materials Used in the Production of Viral Vaccines for the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases

  


  

  

  


  

  


  

  


  

  


  

  


  

  
FDA Comment Number : 
  

  
EC5215
  



  

  
Submitter : 
  

  
Dr. Joseph Laquidara
  

  
Date & Time: 
  

  
12/29/2006 08:12:24
  



  

  
Organization : 
  

  
Merck and Co.
  



  

  
Category : 
  

  
Individual Consumer
  



  

  
Issue Areas/Comments 
  


  

  


  

  
GENERAL
  


  

  



  

  
GENERAL
  


  

  



  

  
 To the members of the FDA and CDC:



I am writing you today to express my outrage of using aborted fetal cells in the preparation of vaccines.  I fully understand the science behind these well intentioned vaccines but nevertheless disapprove of the means by which they were created, by using fetal cell lines that contained the virus to grow the vaccine.  True the original cell lines date back to the mid 1960's but does that change the reality of the abortion?  Furthermore, there is a current vaccine from Japan for rubella vaccination that is derived from chicken embryo (acceptable).  This vaccine should be marketed within the USA.  Trust me that is not an easy thing for me to write since I am a chemist employed with Merck that would stand to lose billions in sales should our rubella vaccine be discontinued.  In any event, doing the right thing is never the easy thing and I hope you will feel that the long term approach for vaccines must be based on cell lines that are morally acceptable.



Sincerely,



Joseph Laquidara, PhD

Senior Research Chemist

Merck & Co.