Sarah Bennett
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has been mired in controversy over its alleged use of aborted foetal cells. While the vaccine does not contain aborted foetal tissue, it was created in part by growing a modified adenovirus in cell lines derived from embryonic tissue from an abortion performed in 1985. This cell line, known as PER.C6, is a colony of fetal cells that has been duplicated numerous times and is used to manufacture the vaccine. The Vatican has stated that the use of such vaccines is ethically permissible, and Johnson & Johnson has emphasised that their vaccine contains no fetal tissue. However, the claim that the vaccine contains aborted fetal DNA has been a subject of debate, with some arguing that it contains cellular debris or fragments of fetal DNA.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Fetal cells used in the manufacturing process | Yes |
| Fetal cells present in the final product | No |
| Fetal DNA fragments present in the final product | Yes |
| Fetal cells used in testing | Yes |
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What You'll Learn
- J&J vaccine does not contain aborted fetal cells
- The vaccine was created using a cell line from an aborted fetus in 1985
- The Vatican says it is morally acceptable to use vaccines created with aborted fetal cells
- The J&J vaccine is made using an adenovirus
- The final product does not contain human cells, cell fragments, or human tissue
J&J vaccine does not contain aborted fetal cells
The J&J vaccine does not contain aborted fetal cells. The vaccine formula does not contain aborted fetal tissue. Instead, virologists created J&J's vaccine by growing a modified virus in cells originally derived from embryonic tissue from an abortion performed decades ago. The human cell line is physically and chemically separate from the ingredients in the final vaccine product.
J&J's vaccine is manufactured using a human cell line to make the modified adenovirus. This is necessary because we don’t have the technology to just “3D print” viruses. We need to recruit some kind of cell to host them because viruses are obligate parasites and require a host cell to replicate. In this case, the cells used to make the virus are a human fetal cell line. In 1985, scientists copied a cell from the retina of an 18-week fetus. That cell has been copied in a lab over and over all these decades.
The J&J vaccine received Emergency Use Authorization from the United States FDA and is recommended by the CDC for persons age 18 years or older, including people who are immunocompromised, pregnant, breastfeeding, and have comorbidities. The only people the CDC does not recommend this vaccine for at this time are those under age 18 and people who have a known severe allergy to one of its ingredients.
The Vatican has issued formal guidance stating that the use of these vaccines is ethically permissible and does not constitute cooperation with abortion. For those who find the use of human cell lines objectionable, the vaccine from Pfizer has used no fetal cell lines in any stage of development or production.
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The vaccine was created using a cell line from an aborted fetus in 1985
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was created using a cell line derived from an aborted fetus in 1985. This cell line, known as PER.C6, is a multi-generational offspring of a fetal cell line that originated from an 18-week-old fetus aborted decades ago. While the vaccine itself does not contain aborted fetal tissue or cells, the cell line was used to create the materials for the genetically modified vector, or adenovirus. This adenovirus is an inactive virus that serves as the ingredient in the vaccine, teaching the immune system to recognize and protect against COVID-19 infection.
The use of fetal cell lines in vaccine development is not new, and they have been used since the 1960s to create vaccines against various diseases, including measles, rubella, rabies, chickenpox, shingles, and hepatitis A. In the case of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine, the PER.C6 cell line provided a host for the adenovirus to grow, as viruses require a host cell to replicate. The cell line was chosen because it mimics human tissue.
The Vatican has issued guidance stating that the use of vaccines developed with fetal cell lines is ethically permissible and does not constitute cooperation with abortion. This guidance is particularly relevant for Catholics who have raised ethical concerns about the J&J vaccine. The Vatican's statement allows for the use of such vaccines when ethically irreproachable alternatives are not available.
It is important to note that the cell lines used in the J&J vaccine are not the same as fetal cells. The original fetal cells were duplicated in a lab setting, and the resulting cell lines are physically and chemically separate from the ingredients in the final vaccine product. There are no fetal cells or tissue present in the vaccine, and the human cell line is not directly derived from aborted fetal tissue.
While the J&J vaccine does not contain aborted fetal cells, it is understandable that the use of fetal cell lines in vaccine development raises ethical concerns for some individuals. Independent research has found that vaccines manufactured using fetal cell lines may contain trace amounts of fetal DNA fragment contaminants. These fragments are biologically active when injected into another individual and can integrate into the host's genome. However, the presence of these fragments does not mean that the vaccine contains fetal cells or tissue.
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The Vatican says it is morally acceptable to use vaccines created with aborted fetal cells
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has been deemed "morally compromised" by some Catholic leaders because it is produced using a cell line derived from an aborted fetus. The fetal cell lines were used to help create the vaccine, but they are not listed as ingredients in the vaccine. Instead, the J&J vaccine uses an adenovirus (an inactive virus) as an ingredient. Adenoviruses require cells to grow, and in this case, a human fetal cell line was used. The cell line was created using a cell copied from the retina of an 18-week-old fetus aborted in 1985. This cell has been replicated in labs over the decades, and the line is now several generations removed from the original fetal tissue.
While the Vatican has acknowledged that Catholics should seek alternative vaccines that were not developed using fetal cells when possible, it has also stated that "when ethically irreproachable Covid-19 vaccines are not available … it is morally acceptable to receive Covid-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process." This statement was approved by the Pope and emphasized that individuals should endeavour to obtain ethically acceptable vaccines, but in some cases, such options may not be available. The Vatican also highlighted the responsibility of those who object to any COVID-19 vaccines for moral reasons to take preventive measures to avoid spreading the virus to others.
The complex nature of the Church's position has caused uncertainty among Catholics regarding the moral permissibility of receiving vaccines developed using fetal cell lines. Some Catholic leaders have advised followers to avoid the Johnson & Johnson vaccine if possible, while others have encouraged individuals to get vaccinated with the first available vaccine, regardless of its association with abortion-derived cell lines. Archbishop Timothy Broglio stated that "no one should be forced to receive a COVID-19 vaccine if it would violate the sanctity of his or her conscience," supporting those who claim religious exemptions to vaccination mandates.
It is important to note that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine does not contain human cells, including fetal cells, or any animal by-products, common allergens, latex, aluminum, preservatives, or microchips. The final product is physically and chemically separate from the original fetal tissue, and it contains no fetal tissue whatsoever. The use of fetal cell lines in vaccine development is not unique to COVID-19 vaccines, as they have been utilized since the 1960s in creating vaccines against various diseases, including measles, rubella, rabies, chickenpox, shingles, and hepatitis A.
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The J&J vaccine is made using an adenovirus
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine does not contain aborted foetal cells. However, it was developed using cell lines derived from embryonic tissue from an abortion performed decades ago. Fetal cell lines are not the same as fetal cells, and the former is physically and chemically separate from the ingredients in the final vaccine product.
The adenovirus needs cells to grow in, and the PER.C6 cell line was used to make it because it mimics human tissue. The PER.C6 cell line is a multi-generational offspring of a colony of a fetal cell line that originated with a single cell from an 18-week-old fetus aborted in 1985. These cells serve as miniature "factories" where the adenoviruses multiply quickly. The cell line is necessary because we do not have the technology to artificially create viruses.
The J&J vaccine is different from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are made using messenger RNA (mRNA) and do not use cells of any kind in their manufacturing process. The J&J vaccine is given as a single dose and can be stored for long periods in a refrigerator, unlike the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which require two doses and an uninterrupted cold chain.
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The final product does not contain human cells, cell fragments, or human tissue
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has been mired in controversy over its alleged ingredients, with Catholic leaders and evangelicals cautioning followers against accepting the vaccine. The claim that the vaccine contains aborted foetal cells is false. The vaccine formula does not contain aborted foetal tissue.
The J&J vaccine was "developed, tested and is produced with abortion-derived cell lines". Virologists created the vaccine by growing a modified virus in cells originally derived from embryonic tissue from an abortion performed decades ago. However, that human cell line is physically and chemically separate from the ingredients in the final product.
The J&J vaccine uses an adenovirus (an inactive virus) as an ingredient. An adenovirus needs cells to grow in. The PER.C6 cell lines were used to make the adenovirus because it mimics human tissue. The cells used to make the virus are a human foetal cell line. In 1985, scientists copied a cell from the retina of an 18-week-old foetus. That cell has been copied in a lab over and over for decades.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the J&J vaccine does not contain aborted foetal cells.
The J&J vaccine does not contain aborted foetal DNA. However, it is important to note that the vaccine was developed using cell lines that were originally derived from an aborted foetus in 1985.
Foetal cells were used to create the genetically-modified adenovirus vector that is used in the J&J vaccine. The adenovirus needs cells to grow, and the foetal cell line was used because it mimics human tissue.
Yes, the Pfizer vaccine has not used foetal cell lines in any stage of development or production. The Moderna vaccine also does not use foetal cells in its production, although it did use them in testing.
The Vatican has stated that it is morally acceptable to receive COVID-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted foetuses when no ethically irreproachable alternative is available. However, individuals who object to the use of foetal cells for moral reasons must take personal measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
