CLI Statement on Johnson & Johnson Vaccine: Abortion-Derived Cell Lines Used in Production Process

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 4, 2021 | Contact: Prudence Robertson, probertson@sbalist.org, 240-672-2828

Vaccine Recipients Deserve Transparency, Information About Alternatives

Washington, D.C.  – In response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s authorization of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI), the research arm of Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), issued the following statement:

“For many Americans, the approval of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine raises renewed questions about the use of cells derived from elective abortions. Many leading vaccine candidates supported by Operation Warp Speed, including the approved vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, do not use abortion-derived cell lines in their production. Unlike the majority of those candidates, Johnson & Johnson does use these cell lines in the production process.

“These decisions are disappointing, given the availability of uncontroversial alternatives already in use. They create an unnecessary dilemma for countless people weighing their options – but every vaccine recipient deserves to know. CLI remains committed to providing timely and accurate information so that individuals and families can make well-informed decisions.”

CLI’s analysis found that a majority of Warp Speed vaccine candidates did not use abortion-derived cell lines in their production. Several used abortion-derived cell lines in laboratory testing, or their use in testing could not be determined. CLI also just released an updated detailed chart on these and many other COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

Additional CLI resources related to COVID-19 and vaccines include:

• A Visual Aid to Viral Infection and Vaccine Production – a visual primer on the various strategies for viral vaccine production.
• An Ethics Assessment of COVID-19 Vaccine Programs – a discussion of ethical considerations in viral vaccine production.
• COVID-19 Vaccines & Fetal Cell Lines – an infographic description of how fetal cell lines are sometimes used to produce vaccines.
• What You Need to Know About the COVID-19 Vaccines – collection of resources by CLI scholars on this topic.

CLI Vice President David Prentice and Director of Life Sciences Tara Sander Lee are available to discuss with media. To request an interview, please contact Prudence Robertson at probertson@sbalist.org or 240-672-2828.

Charlotte Lozier Institute was launched in 2011 as the education and research arm of Susan B. Anthony List. CLI is a hub for research and public policy analysis on some of the most pressing issues facing the United States and nations around the world. The Institute is named for a feminist physician known for her commitment to the sanctity of human life and equal career and educational opportunities for women.  The 175^th anniversary of Dr. Charlotte Denman Lozier’s birth occurred on March 16, 2019.

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