Committee on Bioethics of the Polish Bishops' Conference on Covid-19 vaccines against

The Committee on Bioethics has presented an evaluation of the use of vaccines prepared with fetal cell lines, emphasizing that not all vaccines have been or are produced using this technology.

Bearing in mind the morally significant problem of the relationship between vaccines and abortion (those using it), the document indicates three levels of responsibility: 1) grave moral liability for an abortion performed "in a manner intended as an end or a means;" 2) the heavy responsibility for the use of "biological material" from aborted fetuses in the production of the vaccines in question. In this case, abortion is an integral part of the achievement of these vaccines, and therefore includes the acceptance of abortion as a necessary and beneficial act; 3) conditional liability of persons using these vaccines.

The Committee on Bioethics emphasizes that people who are against abortion and the industrial use of human biological material bear no personal blame. They are not involved in the production of these vaccines but can use them for the sake of their own health or life. These people would, however, be guilty of morally supporting these vaccines and their production technology if they were to use them although they have other vaccines, free of the above reservations, at their disposal.

The document goes on to say that "the decision to be vaccinated is a conscious personal choice," since each person is ultimately responsible for his/her own life and health, and often also for the health of others.

The document does not disregard the various risks cited incompetent views or indicated by the vaccine manufacturers themselves. To avoid these risks or their significant mitigation, the use of vaccines, and the decision to receive them should be discussed with a competent physician. This is especially true for people with specific diseases.

Press Office of the Polish Bishops' Conference