This week, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops encouraged Catholics to choose Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines over Johnson & Johnson, if possible, because the inoculation of the latter was developed from cell Stem cells obtained during two abortions decades ago.
Bishop Kevin Rhoades, chair of the conference’s Doctrine Committee, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, chair of the conference’s Pro-Life Activities Committee, in a statement Tuesday called on Catholics to choose the Pfizer vaccine o Modern above Johnson & Johnson, if option available.
But they added that it is “morally acceptable” for the faithful to receive any vaccine against COVID-19 if no option is available, and called it “an act of charity that serves the common good.”
Pfizer and Moderna used cell lines originated from fetal tissue in testing their vaccines, according to several reports. However, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was developed from stem cells obtained from two abortions.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine became the third authorized candidate for emergency use in the United States earlier this month after Moderna and Pfizer inoculations were approved in December.
Catholic groups that oppose abortion have long criticized medical companies that use human cell lines of aborted fetuses.
Several dioceses in the U.S. have also expressed concern about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans last week described Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine as “morally compromised” by its use of stem cells obtained from abortions.
In December, the Vatican published the guide that was acceptable for Catholics around the world to receive COVID-19 vaccines “that have used aborted fetal cell lines in their research and production process” when there are no vaccines against the “ethically irreproachable” coronavirus.
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Johnson & Johnson said in a statement to The Hill, “We are able to manufacture hundreds of millions of doses using our designed cell line system and look forward to delivering those doses worldwide and helping meet critical need.”
The statement also noted that the vaccine “uses an inactivated uninfected adenovirus vector – similar to a cold virus – that encodes the coronavirus ‘spike’ (S) protein” and that “there is no fetal tissue in the vaccine.” .
Updated: 7:25 p.m.