Cells taken from aborted fetuses for COVID-19 vaccines cause moral dilemma for some Canadian Catholics
Posted March 2, 2021 7:28 pm.
Last Updated March 2, 2021 7:29 pm.
Many Catholics in Canada are facing a moral dilemma over COVID-19 vaccinations.
Moira McQueen, director of the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute tells CityNews some of the vaccines being produced were developed by using products of cells that were initially taken from aborted fetuses.
“The AstraZeneca and the Johnson & Johnson ones are both unethical vaccines by Catholic standards,” McQueen says, “if you’re really serious about sort of anti-abortion, pro-life point of view, you don’t want to utilize anything that is, you know, that’s using those kind of cell lines if there’s something else available.”
In December, the Vatican said despite the links to abortions, it is morally acceptable to get a vaccine, but recently the Archdiocese of New Orleans advised its members not to use the Johnson & Johnson shot.
The Archdiocese of Toronto says it hasn’t made a decision on the Johnson & Johnson shot, while others are urging governments to allow people to ask for an alternative vaccine if they have a moral objection.
Health officials advise Canadians to take whichever vaccine is available to them.