mRNA Technology Shows Promise Beyond COVID-19, new Research Reveals
Amid evolving guidelines for their use and groundbreaking research highlighting teh potential of messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, updated COVID-19 vaccines are now available as the cold and flu season approaches.
A leading infectious diseases specialist, who also serves as a Catholic deacon, explained to OSV News how both scientific advancements and the Church’s moral teachings can inform a Catholic understanding of vaccines and mRNA technology.
Cancer Patients See Improved Outcomes with mRNA Vaccines
A recent retrospective study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas MD anderson Cancer Center and the University of Florida revealed a notable benefit for cancer patients receiving mRNA vaccines. The study found that patients with non-small-cell lung cancer and melanoma who received a Pfizer or moderna COVID-19 vaccine within 100 days of starting treatment experienced longer survival rates compared to those who did not. Researchers emphasized that this positive outcome was not linked to protection against virus infections, but rather to the mRNA molecule itself, which appeared to enhance the immune system’s response to cancer treatment.
“mRNA technology is exceptional and very powerful,” stated Dr. Timothy Flanigan, a physician with Brown Medicine’s Infectious Diseases division and a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, shortly before the study’s release. He further noted that the mRNA vaccines developed during the pandemic “did have a very important impact in decreasing hospitalizations, severe pneumonia and death,” adding, “we’re still learning a lot about it, and it produces a potent immune response.”
Current COVID-19 Vaccine Landscape in the U.S.
Currently, the majority of COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States utilize mRNA technology. The Novavax vaccine is the sole exception,employing a protein-based approach.
This research emerges following recent changes in guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding COVID-19 vaccination schedules. The CDC now recommends that most Americans receive an updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine,regardless of prior vaccination status.
The Church’s Position on Vaccination
Dr. Flanigan cautioned that any negative findings or changes in recommendations regarding COVID-19 vaccines could contribute to vaccine skepticism or hesitancy, stressing, “My hope is that it doesn’t lead to vaccine skepticism or vaccine hesitancy overall.” He underscored the “amazing” benefits observed from childhood vaccinations.
During the height of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the Holy See’s Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faith, along with catholic bishops and theologians, affirmed the moral permissibility of receiving COVID-19 vaccines for Catholics.
Ethical Considerations in Vaccine Advancement
The U.S. bishops encouraged Catholics,when given a choice,to prioritize certain vaccine brands due to varying degrees of connection to cell lines originally derived from aborted fetal tissue,such as the HEK-293 cell line. notably, neither the Pfizer nor moderna COVID-19 vaccines utilized these cell lines in their production, although testing did involve the HEK-293 cell line – a common practice in the testing of numerous drugs, including Advil, Ivermectin, and Tums. The novavax vaccine did not utilize fetal cell lines in either production or testing.
It is indeed critically important to note that vaccines, even those produced using cell lines derived from decades-old abortions, do not contain fetal cells in the final product. These cell lines are not identical to fetal tissue and have undergone extensive laboratory development over many years. Moreover, most cells cease to divide after a certain number of divisions, a phenomenon known as the Hayflick limit.
Vaccination as a Voluntary and Communal decision
The 2020 statement from the Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faith affirmed that while Catholics may morally undergo COVID-19 vaccination, the decision should be voluntary, not compulsory. The statement clarified that even a remote connection to abortion does not imply moral endorsement of the practice, and encouraged pharmaceutical companies and health agencies to develop ethically acceptable alternatives.
The statement further emphasized that the morality of vaccination extends beyond individual health to encompass the common good, stating that vaccination may be recommended, particularly to protect the most vulnerable, “in the absence of other means to stop or even prevent the epidemic.”
COVID-19 vaccines are currently available in all 50 states, though eligibility criteria may vary by location.
