As the lockdown continues across the world, pharmaceutical companies are accelerating their efforts to provide a vaccine to prevent the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, Moderna, the company which has gained prominence in news headlines for developing Mrna-1273 vaccine to fight the disease, uses cells of aborted babies.
Although alternatives exist which could be considered morally acceptable, they are not getting as much coverage as Moderna's vaccine work.
Suspicions about the vaccine were raised after checking Moderna’s patents and in particular, the use of the Spike (S) protein.
The idea behind using this Spike protein in a vaccine with messenger RNA (mRNA) is to teach the patient’s immune system to produce its own protein antibodies to block and destroy the virus so the person will not become infected. However, as detailed in several science publications, Spike protein is produced using HEK 293 aborted fetal cells.
Bernadette Smyth of Precious Life slammed the use of aborted babies in the production of a coronavirus vaccine. She stated: “It is horrifying that companies would seek to exploit the remains of aborted babies for financial gain, especially when so many people are totally opposed to such a vaccine because of their moral, ethical and pro-life convictions. We must seek morally sound and ethical solutions, as opposed to this grave violation of human dignity which capitalises off of the death and destruction of aborted babies.”
Since the 1960s, several commonly used vaccines have been researched and manufactured using aborted tissue or cell lines originating from aborted babies. The common vaccines using aborted cell lines today include chickenpox, shingles, hepatitis A, and Rubella (MMR).
The use of such vaccines is a deeply troubling moral and ethical violation for people across the world who understand abortion for what it is; the deliberate killing of living human children in the womb. With the panic and fear created by the Coronavirus Pandemic, it can be expected that pressure will mount (social, and perhaps, governmental) for as many people as possible to be vaccinated for Coronavirus.
There have been increasingly frequent claims from scientists and some in the government that life won’t return to normal until a vaccine is available.
Professor Neil Ferguson - of Imperial College London, which is advising the government on its coronavirus response, warned that a vaccine would be necessary.
"We will have to maintain some form of social distancing, a significant level of social distancing, probably indefinitely until we have a vaccine available," he told BBC Radio 4.
As calls for a vaccine, which could be mandatory for some, increase, many who are opposed for ethical, moral or religious reasons are speaking out.
Yesterday (Sunday 19th April), Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic has said that his opposition to vaccines may prevent him from returning to tennis after the coronavirus pandemic.
There have been calls for all tennis players to be vaccinated when the season eventually resumes, but such a plan would leave World No. 1 Djokovic facing a dilemma.
“Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel,” Djokovic said in a live Facebook chat with several fellow Serbian athletes on Sunday
“But if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision,” he added.
There are also many who would like to have the protection of a coronavirus vaccine for themselves or loved ones, but will be unable to participate if any part of the research or manufacture of the vaccine has been done with aborted tissue or cell lines originating from abortions.
Other well-known pharmaceutical companies could offer this, however, these solutions are getting notably less press. For instance, Sanofi Pasteur is using its own recombinant DNA platform to manufacture a Covid-19 vaccine. Another company offering an alternative to fetal cell lines was Protein Sciences whose recombinant DNA platform uses insect cells. Their Sf9 cell line comes from the fall armyworm and has been used effectively for several years in producing influenza vaccines.
In 2017, Sanofi Pasteur bought Protein Sciences and is using this same platform for their newly developing Covid-19 vaccine which will allow them the flexibility to make millions of doses of vaccine quickly.
