Good news about the new coronavirus vaccine– it’s considered “Ethically Uncontroversial”

Good news about the new coronavirus vaccine– it’s considered “Ethically Uncontroversial” July 28, 2020

According to an ethics assessment of COVID-19 vaccine programs conducted by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, the pharmaceutical companies awarded the billion-dollar contract by the White House do not use aborted baby tissue in the vaccine being developed for the coronavirus.

Pfizer, a U.S.-based company, working with German-based BioNTech, was awarded a $1.95 billion contract with the federal government to produce and distribute a free vaccine to all Americans.

The vaccine, which has only been tested for a very brief period of time in initial trials, would still need to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The contract stipulates an initial 100 million doses of the experimental vaccine would be distributed, with the option to purchase an additional 500 million doses, if necessary.

The companies vaccines’ fall under the category of “Ethically Uncontroversial CoV-19 Vaccine Programs,” according to the institute’s analysis.

“A study from the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) identified 115 COVID-19 vaccines in development,” the institute states. “At least 78 of these vaccine development initiatives were confirmed to be actively under way.  However, many of these active projects are still only at the laboratory investigation stage, with many different biological strategies being investigated.”

The institute explains the types of vaccine programs now registered clinical trials or that are in early pre-clinical stages of development, as of June 19. It also explains the technicalities of virus mutation, vaccine development, and the types genetically engineered adenoviruses used for vaccine production.

In order to make replication-deficient (RD) viruses, viral genomes are introduced into cultured human cells that have been genetically engineered. “Several commonly used human cell lines developed for this function were established from cells taken from electively aborted human fetuses,” the institute found.

The institute maintains that using aborted baby tissue to make vaccines is unethical and is medically unnecessary. It states:

“The use of cells from electively aborted fetuses for vaccine production makes these five COVID-19 vaccine programs potentially controversial and could reduce willingness of some to use the vaccine. While some may see no ethical problem, for many a straight line can be drawn from the ending of a human life in an abortion to a vaccine or drug created using cells derived from the harvesting of the fetal tissue.  Even if the cells have been propagated for years in the laboratory far removed from the abortion, that connection line remains.  Thus, use of such cells for vaccine production raises problems of conscience for anyone who might be offered that vaccine and is aware of its lineage.

“Moreover, the possibility of conscientious objection by those to whom a vaccine is offered creates ethical demands on the policymakers, healthcare officials, scientists, vaccine creators and funders, whether or not they themselves have an ethical concern, because of the question of access to the vaccine by the entire citizenry in good conscience.  This is especially true if alternative production methods and vaccines are possible for which there is no ethical question.”

The report lists companies that use aborted baby tissue in their vaccine production, identifying them as unethical, and those that do not.

After great public outcry by religious and political leaders, President Donald Trump listened.

In June 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it would no longer provide funding for government research “that requires new acquisition of tissues harvested from victims of ongoing elective abortion, would empanel an ethics review board to review all new or renewal extramural research applications proposing use of fetal tissue, and would provide funding to optimize and develop alternative research models that do not rely on human fetal tissue from elective abortions.”  Funding of new research that uses abortion-derived cells already in existence prior to the new HHS rule (patented cells HEK293, Per.C6) is allowed to continue.

Under the category of “Ethically Uncontroversial CoV-19 Vaccine Programs,” is listed:

Pfizer and BioNTech USAGermany RNA vaccine“BNT-162a1,b1,b2,c2” NCT04368728NCT043807

 


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