The Vatican has urged Catholics to get vaccinated against coronavirus.
There's some concern among Catholics about the vaccine due to cells from decades-old aborted foetuses being used by some researchers working on Covid-19 vaccines.
But in a statement released on Monday, the Church said it's morally acceptable to take the vaccine and doing so doesn't amount to co-operation with abortion.
"All vaccinations recognised as clinically safe and effective can be used in good conscience with the certain knowledge that the use of such vaccines does not constitute formal co-operation with the abortion from which the cells used in production of the vaccines derive," the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith announced.
The statement, which was approved by Pope Francis, also said it’s imperative that poorer countries also have accesses to Covid-19 vaccines.
Last week, the US Conference of Bishops expressed support for Catholics taking the vaccine.
A statement by two of the group's members said: "Given the urgency of this crisis, the lack of available alternative vaccines, and the fact that the connection between an abortion that occurred decades ago and receiving a vaccine produced today is remote, inoculation with the new Covid-19 vaccines in these circumstances can be morally justified.”
They added that they preferred the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines over the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines use cells from aborted foetuses to test their vaccine. However, the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine uses the cells in the design, development, production and testing stages.
