Actually - they are still used in today's manufacturing -
Common vaccines and their production details
BIAVAX
Rubella and mumps virus vaccine live. Merck & Company, Inc.,
1-800-672-6372. Produced using neomycin, sorbitol, and hydrolyzed gelatin.
Medium: human diploid cells originating from human aborted fetal tissue.
DPT
Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids acellular pertussis vaccine adsorbed.
SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, 1-800-366-8900, extension 5231.
Produced using aluminum phosphate, formaldehyde, ammonium sulfate, washed
sheep red blood cells, glycerol, sodium chloride, and thimerosol.* Medium:
porcine (pig) pancreatic hydrolysate of casein.
FLUSHIELD
Influenza Virus Vaccine, Trivalent, Types A & B. Wyeth-Ayerst,
1-800-934-5556. Produced using gentamicin sulfate, formaldehyde,
po!ysorbate 80, tri(n) butylphosphate, and thimerosol.* Medium: chick
embryos.
FLU VIRIN
Influenza Virus Vaccine. Medeva Pharmaceuticals, 1 -888-MEDEVA (716-
274-5300). Produced using embroyonic fluid (chicken egg), neomycin,
polymyxin, thimerosol,* and betapropiolactone. Medium: embryonic fluid
(chicken egg).
HAVRIX
Hepatitis A. SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, 1-800-366-8900, extension
5231. Produced using formalin, aluminum hydroxide, phenoxyethanol
(antifreeze), polysorbate 20, and residual MRC5 proteins (from medium).
Medium: human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue).
IM0 VAX
Rabies Vaccine Adsorbed. Connaught Laboratories, 1-800-822-2463. Produced
using human albumin, neomycin sulfate, and phenol red indicator. Medium:
human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue).
IPOL
Inactivated Polio Vaccine. Connaught Laboratories, 1-800-822-2463.
Produced using three types of polio virus, formaldehyde, phenoxyethanol
(anti-freeze), neomycin, streptomycin, and polymyxin B. Medium: VERO
cells, a continuous line of monkey kidney cells.
MERUVAX II
Rubella Virus Vaccine Live. Merck & Company, 1-800-672-6372. Produced
using neomycin, sorbitol, and hydrolyzed gelatin. Medium: human diploid
cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue).
M-R VAX
Measles and Rubella Virus Vaccine Live. Merck & Company, 1-800-672-6372.
Produced using neomycin, sorbitol, and hydrolyzed gelatin. Mediums: M & M
-- chick embryo. Rubella -- human diploid cells (originating from human
aborted fetal tissue).
MMR
Measles Mumps Rubella Live Virus Vaccination. Merck & Company,
1-800-672-6372. Produced using sorbitol, neomycin, and hydrolyzed gelatin.
Mediums: M & M -- chick embryo. Rubella -- human diploid cells
(originating from human aborted fetal tissue).
MUMPSVAX
Mumps Virus Vaccine Live. Merck & Company, 1-800-672-6372. Produced using
neomycin, sorbitol, and hydrolyzed gelatin. Medium: human diploid cells
(originating from human aborted fetal tissue).
ORIMUNE
Poliovirus Vaccine Live Oral Trivalent. Lederle Laboratories,
1-800-934-5556. Produced using three types of attenuated polioviruses,
streptomycin, neomycin, calf serum, and sorbitol. Medium: monkey kidney
cell culture.
Rabies Vaccine Adsorbed
SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, 1-800-366-8900, extension 5231.
Produced using betapropiolactone, aluminum phosphate, sodium
ethylmercurithiosalicyate (thimerosol),* and phenol red. Medium: fetal
rhesus monkey lung cells.
RECOMBIVAX
Hepatitis B Vaccine Recombinant. Merck & Company, 1-800-672-6372.
Produced using thimerosol* and aluminum hydroxide. Medium: yeast
(residual; less than 1 percent yeast protein).
VARIVAX
Varicella Virus Vaccine Live. Merck & Company, 1-800-672-6372. Produced
using sucrose, phosphate, glutamate, and processed gelatin. Medium: human
diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue).
MRC-5 is a line of cells originally derived from fetal tissue. However, the cells in use today are propagated from those original fetal cells - they do not directly come from fetal tissue today, and no fetal tissue is required to produce the vaccine.
In short, MRC-5 originally comes from fetal tissue. The MRC-5 bits in vaccines are the offspring of those original fetal cells, generations removed, not the fetal cells themselves.