For a long time, I found myself sitting on the fence regarding the issue of vaccination. There are many articles, research and people both for and against vaccination. As for me, I was simply not bothered, because my life was not disturbed by the whole issue.
But all of that changed last year after a routine vaccination for our then almost two-year-old son. He developed a severe allergic reaction to peanuts. We rushed him to the doctors. It was terrifying being told that his throat had swelled up by just a speck of a peanut. He was given some medication and had to be monitored.
The experience set my husband and me off on our journey of educating ourselves about vaccines. We learned that his reaction was most likely due to peanut oil, which is a common product in manufacturing vaccines.
Knowing what caused the allergy reaction and how to help him has really alleviated our anxiety and concerns. However, this journey of educating ourselves about vaccines, or what they contain to be specific, has also left us shocked.
MCR-5 and WI-38
There is one reason against vaccination that Christians cannot close their eyes to. Make that two reasons: human diploid cells MCR-5 and WI-38. While there are other human diploid cells used, these two cell lines have been used since the 60s in vaccines including the Varivax vaccine (to immunize against chickenpox) and MMR II vaccine (to immunize against measles, mumps and rubella).
The cells are garnered from aborted babies. MCR-5 was derived from “an aborted 14-week male fetus” and WI-38 have been developed from “an aborted fetus of about 3 months gestational age” . In the case of WI-38, the reason for abortion is simply stated as, “the woman did not want another child” .
Aborted babies are still used for vaccine research. A more recent study in 2015 by a scientist in China to develop a new cell line, WALVAX 2, consists of deriving “lung tissue…obtained from a 3 month old female fetus” [4]. It was noted that babies were aborted via “induction of labour with the water bag method” which means the babies are likely still alive in their sacs when “sent to the laboratory immediately for preparation of the cells”.
Unfortunately, to ensure best results in developing a cell line, many unborn babies are tested on to ensure the chosen cell is healthy. For instance, developing WALVAX 2 alone used at least “9 fetuses” .
The above information is just a glimpse of what is happening in the vaccination industry. Hosea chapter 4, verse 6 says that, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge”. We need to question everything against the standard we live by – the standard set in the Bible by God Himself.
Vaccinations, abortion and the Bible
It is obvious that there is no mention of vaccinations in the Bible, as it was not invented yet. However, unborn children are mentioned plenty of times and draws our attention to the sanctity of life. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you…” (Jeremiah chapter 1, verse 5); and “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm chapter 139, verse 13), are two examples of verses reflecting this.
My personal opinion is that Christians cannot be against abortion and at the same time support vaccination. We will find ourselves sitting on the fence of these issues at some point in our lives. Vaccination and abortion are weaved together so intricately that the Christian will have to jump off the fence and choose which side they will be on – either unequivocally for or against these issues.
Fear vs trust
The truth is that vaccination is not just a physical issue of injecting ourselves. It is an attack against our beliefs and faith in Jesus.
It is a problem of fear. We fear losing our child to a deadly disease. We fear regretting not vaccinating should our child get sick. We fear being condemned and alienated by family and friends for our choice.
These fears are real and can be overwhelming for parents that want only the very best for their children. However, fear is not from God (2 Timothy Chapter 1, verse 7) and so we cannot make our decisions based on our fears.
Here is another truth that we often forget. Our “children are a gift from God” (Psalm chapter 127, verse 3). They belong to Him. He loves them more than we ever can. He trusted our children to our care. Maybe it is time we “trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding” (Proverbs chapter 3, verse 5). It definitely was time for me to jump of the fence and trust the One who created my children to take care of them the way that only He can.
Mussita Ng is a follower of Jesus Christ from Wellington, New Zealand. Her previous articles may be viewed at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mussita-ng.html