Published: May 18, 2008

“Aborted at 14-weeks-old and then dissected”

Coast Guard relents in face of lawsuit filed by Catholic officer who refused vaccine extracted from corpses of
aborted babies

A U.S. Coast Guard officer who refused to be injected with a vaccine derived from the remains of an aborted child has
been granted an exemption from the required vaccination.

In May 2006 the Coast Guard ordered all active-duty personnel to receive one of two vaccines against Hepatitis A or show
proof of immunity. The vaccines are derived from lung tissue taken from a child who was aborted at 14-weeks-old and
then dissected.

Though the Coast Guard allows religious exemptions for those who hold a “religious tenet or belief contrary to
immunization,” officials initially refused to grant an exemption for Lt. Cmdr. Joseph J. Healy, who is Catholic. Healy, in
compliance with Coast Guard requirements, submitted a memo requesting a religious exemption because of his Catholic
faith and strong opposition to abortion.

A higher-ranking officer denied the request, claiming that Catholic teaching “does not state that these immunizations are
against the religious tenets of the Catholic Church.”

On May 9, the Coast Guard notified the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that it would grant Healy a religious
exemption.
Attorneys for the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), which represented Healy, said they plan to file a motion to dismiss their
lawsuit on Healy’s behalf.

“Christians shouldn’t be punished for abiding by their beliefs against abortion,” ADF counsel Matt Bowman said in a press
release. “The Coast Guard has done the right thing in recognizing that those who lay their life on the line to defend our
shores are entitled to the same freedom as anyone else not to have their particular beliefs disregarded. Members of the
U.S. military should never be forced to make an unconstitutional choice between honoring their country and adhering to
the belief that health and medicine can prosper without exploiting the killing of pre-born children.”

(Story courtesy of Catholic News Service.)

READER COMMENTS View all Comments

Posted Sunday, May 18, 2008 5:58 AM By JPeterman

Wow, I learn something new every day. So these vaccines come from aborted fetuses? What a sickening disaster. Time to
do some google research to discover what else is made with aborted fetuses AND which companies are behind it.

Posted Sunday, May 18, 2008 9:27 AM By betty

I certainly admire Lt.Cmdr Joseph Healy. Other people might have said nothing but he spoke up. I think he is to be
congratulated.

Posted Sunday, May 18, 2008 11:24 AM By Maria C

Yes folks, most or some vaccines are derived or made part of aborted babies. I don't understand how it is done but I have
reports on this. God bless the Lt. Cmdr for making this awareness be known. God bless him for his courage to fight this
good fight. Make it known that most doctors don't know this. Also some vaccines have high levels of Mercury and even
Aluminum. Some people have discovered that their child or children have been diagnosed with Autism soon after
receiving their shots. For most children, high levels of Mercury causes extra problems to their well-being. Some people
aren't aware of this until it is to late.

Posted Sunday, May 18, 2008 1:04 PM By Margaret

Visit http://www.cogforlife.org/ for more information re: aborted babies and vaccines. It is sick and disturbing.....most
people have NO CLUE about this.

Posted Sunday, May 18, 2008 1:40 PM By Fr. M.P.

It is good to see this victory. Pray and fight for more.

Posted Sunday, May 18, 2008 3:08 PM By Pat

And we are now seeing God's wrath on the earth. I asked Him how He could stand all this evil...that I knew He was 'slow
to anger' and all kindness...but, I offered my limitedness to Him and relented because He is All Perfect...He knows when &
how He will show justice. I fear we will all be apart of it. But I still praise Him and His perfect timing and His love for those
who obey Him lovingly.

Posted Sunday, May 18, 2008 4:05 PM By Louise

Human Life International www.hli.org has led the battle for years in opposing pharmaceutical companies using aborted
fetuses in vacines. God bless Lt.Cmdr Healy and the Alliance Defense Fund.
Posted Sunday, May 18, 2008 9:19 PM By Anne
Deo gratias! Thanks be to God! God bless this Coast Guard Officer. This is the kind of protectors we need for our country.
With such men and women as he, no enemy could conquer us.

Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 4:07 AM By RR

Hello! I have known about cogforlife.org for about ten years. Everybody should read this website. It is very infromative and
you can order brochures that give evidence of where the vaccine was derived. The Catholic Church that I used to attend
had the director, Debbie Vinnage, speak there. She was excellent and I learned so much from her about this issue.
Unfortunately, only about 20 people attended. Many of the shots given to our children today are derived from the same
cell line of this aborted, 14-week-old baby. The MMR vaccine is the most common immunization which is derived from this
same cell line. I told my pediatrician about the vaccines and he told me that I was wrong and that the vaccine was derived
from removing the puss from an infected child. That is simply not true. That is what they are told. I refuse to get my child
any of these vaccines which are derived from aborted babies. Schools will tell parents that it is mandatory to have your
child get these immunizations, but you CAN be exempt. I told my childrens' Catholic school that I refused because the
vaccines were derived from an aborted baby. They had no clue what I was talking about, but they allowed it. How could
they not? I showed them the cogforlife.org brochure and they had no clue. Some of the vaccines have an ethical
alternative. This website will inform you on which ones are ethical.

Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 9:36 AM By Bill

Are you sure this is a Catholic News Service story? I can't find the original on their site. Any link help would be
appreciated.