A 2018 court deposition by vaccine pioneer Stanley Plotkin confirms fetal tissues were used in research tied to vaccine development, while other records stress that finished vaccines do not contain intact fetal tissue.
Story Snapshot
- A sworn 2018 deposition shows a study involving tissues from 76 fetuses linked to vaccine research prep.
- Plotkin confirmed multiple organs were harvested and cultured by colleagues, not by him.
- Medical and ethical sources distinguish research cell lines from ingredients in finished vaccines.
- Deposition summaries say only two fetuses were involved in “making vaccines,” not 76.
What the Deposition Actually Says
A 2018 sworn deposition of Stanley A. Plotkin, a leading vaccine researcher, is central to this debate. In the case Matheson v. Schmitt, Plotkin acknowledged a study that involved tissues from 76 fetuses. He said co-workers harvested and cultured organs such as lung, skin, kidney, spleen, and heart. He stated the fetuses were at least three months and normally developed. He also said the work was preparatory and related to vaccine research, not that he performed the abortions.
The deposition’s circulation fueled claims that “aborted babies are used in vaccine creation.” The full record shows a narrower point. Plotkin described research use of fetal tissues and cell strains, not the presence of intact fetal tissue in finished vaccine vials. The transcript and summaries further state that while the study counted 76 fetuses, only a much smaller number intersected directly with vaccine-making steps, and he denied personal involvement in procuring the tissue.
How Cell Lines Differ from Vaccine Ingredients
Medical literature separates two ideas that often get blurred. First, some vaccines were developed or grown using human cell strains that began in the 1960s from a small number of elective abortions. Second, finished vaccines do not contain intact fetal tissue. Reviews identify human diploid cell strains such as WI-38 and MRC-5 as part of historic development and propagation for certain vaccines, without claiming fresh tissue is in final products. This technical point is key to accuracy in public debate.
That difference matters for policy, law, and conscience. Ethical bodies and scientific reviews describe the connection as “remote” cooperation because current manufacturing relies on established cell banks, not new abortions. Advocates and critics also cite alternatives where available. But the core scientific claim from these sources is consistent: cell lines derived decades ago aided development, while the ingredient list of licensed vaccines does not include intact fetal tissue today.
What Summaries and Critics Say
Deposition summaries used by lawmakers and commentators say Plotkin stated only two fetuses were involved in making vaccines, not 76. They also report his view that strains he helped characterize were not used to make vaccines, which narrows the claim even more. These statements aim to correct the viral framing that equates a large research count with vaccine composition. Still, the summaries do not erase the deposition’s plain admission of research connected to fetal tissue.
🚨 Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro accused HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of promoting “conspiracy theories” after Kennedy told him that some Americans have religious objections to the MMR because of its connection to aborted fetal tissue.
Kennedy responded with the record.…
— Michael Duplessis (@dupemd12) August 28, 2026
Public frustration grows when institutions speak past people’s core concern: were abortions tied to medical progress that others later relied on? The record shows yes for historical research and cell-strain creation, and no for intact fetal tissue in finished vaccines. That blend of fact and moral tension feeds distrust on both left and right. Clear disclosure, plain-language labeling, and viable alternatives where possible would reduce that distrust without rewriting history.
Sources:
lifesitenews.com, archive.org, deeprootsathome.com
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