Maryland bishops endorse use of Pfizer, Moderna COVID vaccines

The Maryland Catholic Conference – which represents bishops serving the archdioceses of Baltimore and Washington as well as the diocese of Wilmington, Del. – is recommending that the faithful receive COVID-19 vaccines developed by U.S. pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna when available.

“A Catholic can in good conscience receive these COVID-19 vaccines. Moreover, given the grave risk of harm to others, we strongly encourage the faithful to receive a vaccine against COVID, unless medically indicated otherwise,” the prelates of the conference wrote in a letter released Dec. 16. “It is vitally important that the most vulnerable among us and those who are from communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID receive the vaccine swiftly.”

The Federal Food and Drug Administration gave the Pfizer vaccine an emergency use approval Dec. 11. The Modera vaccine is expected to receive the same designation later this week. The AstraZeneca vaccine, which had several development delays, is expected to ask for FDA approval early next year.

The emergency use approval allows front-line medical workers and people in long-term care facilities to receive the vaccines.

Archbishop William E. Lori, who was among the signatories of the bishops’ statement, told the Catholic Review he intends to get the vaccination as soon as it is available to him. Baltimore auxiliary bishops Bruce Lewandowski, Denis J. Madden and Adam J. Parker also signed the letter.

“In response to some questions about the source of the vaccines, we wish to provide some clarity regarding the ethical and moral status of COVID-19 vaccines,” the bishops wrote.

The conference notes that the development of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines did not involve the use of cell lines that originated in fetal tissue taken from the body of an aborted baby.

However, the prelates acknowledged that the companies made use of the tainted cell lines in confirmatory lab test tests of their products. But they wrote that the connection was remote, thus allowing their endorsement.

A third vaccine currently being developed by British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and researchers at Oxford University did use tainted cell lines.

The letter commemorated the Dec. 12 feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of unborn children.

Meanwhile this week, medical workers began receiving the first vaccinations, including staff members at University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson. 

On Dec. 16, about 80 members of the medical staff will receive a vaccination, according to Kris Roeder, a spokeswoman for the hospital.

“Keeping these team members healthy is vital to ensuring that UM St. Joseph can continue its mission of service to our community at this critical time,” said Dr. Gail Cunningham, COVID incident commander and chief medical officer. “By protecting our staff, we are safeguarding the health of our patients and our community.”

But vaccinating millions of medical workers – and eventually the general public – will take time.

Dan Collins, a spokesman for Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, said the staff at the downtown hospital has yet to receive the vaccine. He didn’t want to speculate on a timeline, given the fluid nature of the situation.

Maryland Health Officials expect the distribution to long-term care facilities, including those run by local Catholic organizations, to start at the end of the month.

Email Tim Swift at tswift@CatholicReview.org

Note: This story was updated at 3:11 p.m. on Dec. 16 to add a comment from Archbishop Lori.

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