Consenting to Vaccination for Rubella
CATHNEWS: 25 October 1994 News Release
Summary of briefing paper prepared at the request of Bishop Budd, Chairman of the Department for Christian Responsibility and Citizenship and of the Committee for Family Life, and Member of the Joint Bio-ethics Committee.
It is quite reasonable for Catholics to hold differing views about the question of rubella vaccination for children.
Those who feel that they want to take a prophetic stand against accepting any benefit which results from an abortion are entitled to do so, and to refuse consent for their children to receive the rubella vaccination.
But Catholic parents who wish to consent to its use can be assured that there is no general obligation to refuse permission for the vaccination to be given. Consenting does not condone abortion, nor amount to encouraging further abortions for this vaccine. The substantial benefits of this vaccine, for which there is no substitute available, may be accepted.
The difference of opinion arises from whether or not people think that refusing consent discourages demand for fetal tissue from aborted babies.
In any case the health service should be required to develop vaccines and treatments which are in no way associated with abortion.
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This page archived for historical purposes on January 30, 2007
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases