The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has raised concerns about the usage of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, as they firmly believe that fetus cells are being used in its production. They have urged their followers to opt for alternative vaccines being produced by Moderna and Pfizer.
The anti-abortion groups in the US have raised ethical objections against the origin of cell lines throughout the pandemic. In June, they had also written a letter to the then-president, Donald Trump, urging him to look into the matter, and encourage the production of vaccines ‘ethically’.
The US FDA has approved the usage of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, thus becoming the third company entitled to produce and distribute the COVID-19 vaccines.
It’s not the first time that the company has come under fire. The concern was raised by the Catholic Bishops in the U.S. conference claiming that this vaccine is inappropriate as it includes aborted fetal cells. Kevin Carl Rhoades, a leading Catholic Bishop has urged his followers to use Pfizer or Moderna vaccines rather than opting for Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Following the footsteps, the Archdiocese of New Orleans has also urged the people to avoid using Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. On the other hand, the Vatican believes that there is no issue in using Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as it is meant to save human life. However, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops holds a point of view that these vaccines are being unethically produced with fetal cells.
While so many questions being raised against Janssen’s produced vaccine, the company has released a statement to clear all misconceptions by claiming that ‘there is no fetal tissue in our Janssen COVID-19 vaccine’.
