An unvaccinated student sues after being banned from school during an outbreak

Following an outbreak of chicken pox in a Kentucky high school, local health authorities asked students to stay away from school unless they could provide proof of vaccination or evidence of immunity against the contagious disease.

Jerome Kunkel, an 18-year-old student of the Notre Dame Academy of Sacred Heart / Assumption in Walton, has now filed a lawsuit against the Northern Kentucky Department of Health (NKY) for his decision. the New York Times In February, the school reportedly told the unvaccinated student that he could not play any basketball games because of the position taken by the local health authorities.

According to prosecution, this violates his right to freedom of religion. Citing his Catholic faith, he argues that "any vaccine derived from aborted fetal cells is immoral, illegal and culpable".

"I do not believe in this vaccine at all and they try to transmit it to us," said Kunkel, according to CNN WLWT Affiliate.

The NKY remained stuck in its decision, saying it was the best decision for public health, especially for pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. They also noted that the lawyer who had filed the lawsuit had gone on social media with "interested" and "inaccurate" articles about varicella vaccination.

"Unfortunately, some people, including the lawyer who sued, have turned to social media to spread misinformation as part of their litigation strategy," he said. the NKY in a statement. declaration.

So, what are the facts about vaccines and their use of human cells?

The most commonly used vaccines use a small number of well-established human cell lines derived from fetal cell descendants aborted several decades ago. These are descending cells, so the vaccines do not contain any of the cells from the initial abortion. It should also be noted that abortions were not undertaken with the intention of producing vaccines.

Unlike bacteria, viruses need a host to survive. The descending cells are therefore the medium in which these vaccines are created. For example, the varicella vaccine is grown in cells derived from the origin of an aborted fetus in the early 1960s.

The Catholic Church has long questioned the ethics of this practice because of its absolute opposition to abortion. However, their most recent position there is "no reason to refuse immunization against a dangerous contagious disease … especially in the light of the concern we should all have for the health of our children, public health and the common good" .