It is morally wrong for Catholic institutions to require vaccines and boosters

By Stella Noecker, Staff Writer
For nearly two years, the majority of the news has revolved around COVID-19.
There has been a huge push for people to get vaccinated and now boosted. Sure, vaccines are helpful in decreasing the severity of COVID-19. But at what cost?
These vaccines come at the expense of 42.6 million innocent lives across the world. In the year 2021, 42.6 million babies were aborted. Worldwide, abortion is the cause of 42% of deaths (Worldometer).
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine includes PerC6 cells, which are retinal cells that come from fetuses that were aborted in 1985 (MSN Health).
In October, it was revealed that Pfizer was attempting to conceal the fact that fetal stem cell line, HEK 293, was used during the research and testing of these vaccines (Lozier Institute). The Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester issued a statement about forming consciences on COVID-19 vaccines. “As the Bishops of the United States have reminded us, ‘If one can choose among equally safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, the vaccine with the least connection to abortion-derived cell lines should be chosen’”(Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester). The problem; however, is that none of them are free from connection to abortion and fetal stem cells.
We have become so desensitized to the issue of abortion, the intentional taking of a human life. As Catholics, we are taught that all life has dignity and that we are all created in the image and likeness of God. Yet, people are indirectly benefiting from the taking of an innocent life. Some may argue that because the abortion already happened and there is no way to change what happened, this is ok because it benefits the common good. This is essentially justifying and rationalizing abortion.
We as Catholics need to take a stronger stand against abortion, which is the leading cause of death. We should be investing our efforts into protecting the lives of the unborn and advocating for more ethical research and testing methods, not justifying abortion for the sake of science. Why are we pretending to be ok with allowing pharmaceutical companies, such as Pfizer, to profit from the loss of a life?
As Catholics, it is easy to fall victim to the narrative that getting the vaccine and booster is a selfless act of service for the common good. While these vaccines do prevent people from experiencing less severe symptoms, they do not prevent the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, it is of self-interest to get the vaccine, as it does not benefit other people. The ends most certainly do not justify the means.
People often talk about getting the vaccine to protect others, especially the vulnerable populations. The vulnerable populations they are referring to are the elderly and the immunocompromised. This particular group of people is most at risk for significant complications from COVID-19 and is very much deserving of ethical prevention and treatment methods. The most vulnerable population, the unborn, is the one that is most forgotten about and needs the most protection. If you think about it, abortion is the most preventable form of death.
If the government really cared about protecting vulnerable populations, they would attempt to limit abortions, which directly results in the death of innocent human beings.
Instead, the government has become hyper-fixated on trying to eliminate COVID-19 deaths at the cost of innocent human beings.
No one deserves to suffer or die. I struggled to comprehend why people suffer and die. It took me a long time to understand the role that Adam and Eve had in bringing suffering and death into the world. To me, it seemed too simple to blame all of the bad things that happen in the world on two people. After contemplating this for years and seeking the help of many priests and seminarians, I have come to the conclusion that it really is that simple. God gave us all free will and when Adam and Eve chose to commit that original sin, disobeying God, they destroyed the perfect utopia. As a result, they brought suffering and death into the world. It is not a punishment from God, but disease and illness are now a part of life and we must come to terms with this.
It is not the responsibility of the government to prevent people from getting sick. It is, however, the role of the government to prevent the intentional taking of a life, especially through abortion. It is time to focus our efforts and take a stronger stand against the moral injustice that is abortion. We should be fighting for the lives of the unborn, not enabling people to benefit from the loss of life. It is an unjustifiable evil for a Catholic school to require a vaccine that uses fetal stem cell lines in any way whether that be in the research, testing, or production. By requiring these vaccines and boosters, Catholic institutions are justifying abortion.