The United States Catholic Bishops’ Conference is urging people to look for alternatives to the coronavirus vaccine produced by Janssen, a Johnson & Johnson company, arguing that the product raises additional moral concerns through its connection to aborted fetal cells.
In a press release on Tuesday, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades said people should get vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna, if possible.
“[I]If one can choose between equally safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, one should choose the vaccine with the least connection to abortion-derived cell lines, “says Rhoades’ statement.
“So, if someone has the ability to choose a vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna vaccines should be chosen instead of Johnson & Johnson vaccines.”
On Friday, the Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a similar statement warning that “the latest Janssen / Johnson & Johnson vaccine is morally compromised” read in the Archdiocese.
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The USCCB said earlier that Catholics could receive vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer, noting that the use of the products was “a far cry from the initial evil of abortion”.
The debate revolves around the HEK-293 cell line, which was cloned from an aborted fetus in the early 1970s. The cell line itself is not composed of original fetal tissue, nor are the vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson containing fetal tissue. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Saturday.
Still, the USCCB urged Catholics to refrain from using the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines if “comparable alternatives with no connection to abortion are available”.
The conference also specified that the use of the cell line in development and production means that the AstraZeneca vaccine, like that of Johnson & Johnson, has raised more moral concerns than the other two.
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In a statement provided to Fox News on Tuesday, Johnson & Johnson defended its research.
“There is no fetal tissue in our Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. Our COVID-19 vaccine is an inactivated / non-infectious adenovirus vector (similar to a cold virus), which encodes the coronavirus ‘peak’ (S) protein,” a company statement read.
“We are able to manufacture hundreds of millions of doses using our designed cell line system that allows for the rapid production of new viral vaccines to combat many of the most dangerous infectious diseases.”
The archdiocese emphasized the role of medical providers and individual conscience.
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“We affirm that the decision to receive the COVID-19 vaccine remains a decision of individual conscience in consultation with the health care provider,” says the statement.
“We also maintain that in no way does the Church’s position lessen the transgression of those who decided to use abortion cell lines to make vaccines. In doing so, we advise that if the Modern or Pfizer vaccine is available, Catholics should choose to receive any of these vaccines, rather than receiving the new vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, due to their extensive use of cell lines derived from the abortion. “