CALIFORNIA, USA — With so much anticipation about coronavirus vaccines, there has been a lot of misinformation and unfounded claims about its safety. So, leaders in the Catholic Church in California are doing what they can to dispel some of those rumors and inform people about the vaccines.
Some churches are still holding indoor services during this pandemic, but leaders in the Catholic Church here in California are speaking out about coronavirus vaccines and have decided whether or not it’s morally right for parishioners to take them.
Rumors and misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines are spreading like wildfire on social media. Some people are worried that their DNA will be affected or that the vaccines are being made from human stem cells. This week, the Catholic Church Conference in California released a statement supporting vaccines, saying in part, “While the vaccines are still under review, they have been extensively studied in rigorous clinical trials and early safety and effectiveness findings look promising.”
“Look out your door at the number of COVID cases and the profound impact it’s having on our communities. There’s no doubt in my mind that the risk-benefits favor taking a vaccine,” said Dr. Susan Little, a Professor of Medicine at UCSD.
Little has worked on clinical trials for Astrazeneca and Janssen vaccines. She says the coronavirus vaccines are synthetic and dissipate in the body soon after they’re taken. This is also why it won’t alter a person’s DNA.
“Messenger RNA vaccines are not using stem cell material," said Little. "They are made in a test tube simply taking a genetic sequence and copying it.”
The California Catholic Conference said it’ll take an active role to promote and encourage COVID-19 vaccinations through its healthcare ministries and charities. It also said it has confirmed that it is morally acceptable for vaccines to be used to help eradicate the virus.
“The Pope has specifically authorized people to get these vaccines, and specifically in the case of the Moderna and the Pfizer vaccines,” Little said.
The California Catholic Conference said one of its priorities is to make sure the vaccines are assessible to populations they work with like farmworkers, low-wage earners and those without healthcare.
