The utilization of abortion-derived cell lines in COVID-19 vaccines raises important ethical questions. The NCBC recognizes ethical distinctions among available COVID-19 vaccines based on their utilization of abortion-derived cell lines when all other considerations are equal. Vaccines that do not use abortion-derived cell lines in any phase of design, manufacture, or testing are the best ethical choice if they are reasonably available, safe, and effective. Vaccines that utilize abortion-derived cell lines in a more limited manner, such as for confirmatory testing, are preferable to those that utilize abortion-derived cell lines in more than one phase of development and, in particular, in the manufacturing process.
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