COVID Vaccines and Catholic Ethics

COVID Vaccines and Catholic ethics.  On this episode, Chris is joined by National Catholic Bioethics Center-trained ethicist Cameo Anders. They discuss the development and rollout of COVID vaccines, and an ethical component to be aware of. Summary: The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are not developed with aborted fetal tissue cells, though their efficacy may have been validated with a lab test with such a connection, giving them a remote connection to the evil of abortion. This connection to a tainted test is even more remote than if the vaccine itself had been developed using an abortion-connected cell line. For a person to receive such a vaccine can been described as “remote mediate material cooperation” with the evil of abortion. It is morally permissible to receive such a vaccine if there is a “proportional reason,” such as serious risk to one’s health, and when no alternative exists.

Also see:

– Charlotte Lozier Institute chart on vaccine abortion connections:

https://s27589.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/12.04.20-warp-speed-vaccines.pdf

– USCCB document on Conscience and Vaccines (2015):

https://www.usccb. org/beliefs-and-teachings/how- we-teach/catholic-education/ upload/Vaccines-Conscience- Exemption-updated-April-2015. pdf

– SDCC page with additional resources:

http://www.sdcatholicconference.org/ covid-19-vaccinations-sd/