Home > Event > Pro-Life and the COVID-19 Vaccine: What’s the Real Story?
When:
December 17, 2020 @ 7:00pm – 9:00pm
2020-12-17T19:00:00-05:00
2020-12-17T21:00:00-05:00
Where:
Zoom
Contact:
Rebecka V.A. Frontz

SUMMARY

This will be an educational presentation on the basic science of vaccines and how pro-life considerations figure into vaccine development, so that you have the information to evaluate if receiving a Covid vaccine aligns with your pro-life stance. Much of the time will be spent on a layman’s level explanation of basic cell biology, viruses, and human immune response. This is necessary to understand how cell lines derived from fetal tissue have been and are used, as well as how to evaluate which Covid vaccine, if any, will best align both with pro-life values and optimum effectiveness. 

 SPECIFIC TOPICS INCLUDE

  • Basic definitions: cell, DNA, RNA, protein, virus, antibody, etc.
  • Life cycle of a virus
  • Basics of antibody and immune response
  • Importance of distinguishing between things that happen inside a cell, on the surface of a cell, and outside the cell
  • Definition of a “cell line,” their history, and their use in vaccine development.
  • The different kinds of vaccines, historically and in the age of Covid.
  • Ethical considerations of cell line use relative to sanctity of life issues. 

PRESENTER

Beverly Miller, a lay NALC member from St. Paul’s Lutheran in Sarver, PA. She holds a Ph.D. in biology (1987) from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. She did her doctoral research in an adenovirus laboratory, including the production of monoclonal antibodies when that technology was in its infancy. Her work entailed the use of both HeLa and HEK293 cell lines, the latter of which is derived from aborted fetal tissue and is still in wide use today. 

Upholding the sanctity of life, Dr. Miller also serves on the NALC Living and Giving Stewardship Team. 


Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9616081754  

Meeting ID: 961 608 1754

If you need to join by phone, find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcAf2aXS3o

The webinar will be recorded.