Allentown Diocese opposes Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
Written by Victoria Scialfa on March 5, 2021
Allentown Diocese opposes Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
By Hayden Mitman
March 5, 2021
Gov. Tom Wolf is rolling out a plan to vaccinate teachers and school workers but the Diocese of Allentown said on March 3 that it opposes the use of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, calling it “morally compromised.”
Bishop Alfred Schlert said that the Catholic Church is opposed to this vaccine, claiming it was created with “abortion-derived cell lines.”
“Other vaccines are available and are more morally acceptable,” Schlert says.
Johnson & Johnson doesn’t deny using the cells, but also says it doesn’t use fetal tissue.
Schlert is calling on Catholic educators and school employees to seek out other options, like the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which use the cell lines in testing but not in production.
But what are Catholic teachers and school staff to do if this vaccine is their only option?
“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine can be accepted, but in our area, it’s hard to say there are no other choices,” says a spokesperson for the diocese.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has taken a similar stance.
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