Recently, a Wisconsin pharmacist was arrested for attempting to destroy hundreds of vials of the COVID-19 vaccine. He feared the vaccine could change the DNA of anyone who received it. 

Fears and rumors and worries about the safety and the ethics of the various COVID-19 vaccines are understandable. After all, no vaccine has ever moved into distribution this quickly, and much has been made about the new approach to vaccination take by the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. And, of course, elected officials aren’t always trusted in our culture.

Just before Christmas, I asked friend, former teacher, and trusted bioethicist Dr. C. Ben Mitchell to walk through the ethics of the COVID-19 vaccines on the BreakPoint Podcast. I’ve known Dr. Mitchell for years. I know him to be careful and measured, while also theologically faithful.

I know him to seek out the best sources for his information while also being wary of what is the Achilles heel of modern medical technologies — unexpected consequences. Our conversation went for over an hour, but that’s what I was hoping for: a careful, measured, informed and thorough look at the various ethical questions that have arisen because of the COVID-19 vaccines.

For example, the unprecedented speed at which the various vaccines were developed, reducing a process that often takes years to mere months, is an extraordinary accomplishment. Still, it’s perfectly reasonable to wonder if ethical and safety corners were cut to bring the vaccine to market so fast. That’s one of the things we talked about that.

At the top of the list for most Christians, myself included, is whether or not cells from aborted fetuses were used in the development of the vaccines. Citing the extensive research on the issue by the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute, Mitchell agrees that the vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna are “ethically uncontroversial,” a position affirmed by the U.S. Catholic Bishops. In our interview, Dr. Mitchell not only walks through the data, but offers a mini-course in unraveling these sorts of ethical complexities.