The religious right survives on stoking the flames of outrage for their flock because they apparently have nothing else to offer them. There are even groups started to scream about morally ethical vaccines, I kid you not.

(h/t Digby)

Ebola vaccines use aborted fetal cell lines, moral options exist!

A “pro-life” group called Children of God for Life is throwing a fit because Ebola vaccines currently being developed use cells derived from embryonic stem cells. Because it’s totally “pro-life” to let living people die of Ebola when it won’t save a single little blastocyst.

Children of God for Life announced today that several Ebola vaccines in development for use worldwide are made using aborted fetal cell lines despite the fact that moral alternatives are reported as equally effective. Glaxo SmithKline (GSK) and NIAID are jointly developed their ChAd3 vector for delivering the Ebola virus gene using HEK-293 (human embryonic kidney) cells. Likewise, NewLink Genetics of Iowa used HEK-293 cells for their VSV-EBOV Ebola vaccine in Canada, while Johnson and Johnson/Crucell developed theirs using PER C6 cells, derived from retinal tissue of an 18 week gestation aborted baby… “It is completely irresponsible of this Administration to put these problem vaccines on fast-track for approval and ignore the fact that a massive number of people may very well refuse them. Why not fast track a product that everyone can use in good conscience?” asked Vinnedge.

No, what’s irresponsible is shutting down stem cell research in the name of saving “babies” (the cells are actually derived from blastocysts that will never become babies) when that research could save the lives of actual people. That’s the exact opposite of “pro-life.”