Catholic Doctrine Supports Religious Exemption to COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

Recent federal court cases involving termination of employees who were denied a religious exemption to refuse COVID-19 vaccination mandated by employers renewed the discussion of the morality of using medicines produced and/or tested in cell lines derived from elective abortions. A common argument of employers in these lawsuits was that the association of COVID-19 vaccines and certain over-the-counter (OTC) medicines with past abortions was equivalent. Therefore, the use of OTC medicines but refusal of COVID-19 vaccines represented a contradiction to a sincerely held religious belief. In this commentary, we demonstrate that the association of COVID-19 vaccines and certain OTC drugs (aspirin, ibuprofen, Benadryl, and Claritin) with past abortions is not equivalent. We outline the Catholic church's position on the use of medicines with an association with elective abortions and demonstrate how Catholic doctrine supports religious-exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates citing a tenet of the faith, respect for all human life.