Vaccines and the Russian Church

(ROC-UKIE-) - On May 20, 2021, a round table "Vaccination: Ethical Issues in the light of the Orthodox faith" was held at the Sretenskaya Theological Academy.  At the end of the event, its participants approved the final document.

Participants of the round table "Vaccination: ethical aspects in the light of the Orthodox faith" - members of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church, experts in the field of medicine and biology and representatives of the Orthodox community - discussed emerging issues, including among the believers of the Orthodox Church, regarding vaccination against coronavirus infection COVID -19.

Scientists and doctors who are making significant efforts to overcome the consequences and prevent the further spread of the coronavirus infection COVID-19, which has claimed lives of many people and brought a significant disorder to the lives of peoples, deserve profound gratitude and respect. Today, as in the past, thanks to advances in medical science, including in the field of vaccine prevention, it has become possible to prevent and reduce the spread of many diseases, alleviate the suffering that they bring to people, reduce mortality and increase life expectancy.  Many epidemics known in the past have come to end, including after the use of vaccines against the corresponding diseases.

The historical experience of the Russian Orthodox Church knows examples of the active participation of clergy in the advance of the practice of vaccination as a medical procedure aimed at saving the life and health of people.  For example, in 1804, the decree of the Holy Governing Synod recommended bishops and priests to explain to the people the benefits of vaccination against smallpox.  At the same time, the basics of vaccination against this disease were included in the list of general education disciplines in the program of training the future clergy.  The advance of vaccination against smallpox was supported, for example, by the Holy Hierarch Innokenty of Moscow [1].

The idea that a principal refusal to get vaccination as such may be explained by the Orthodox faith is erroneous. The choice in favor of vaccination or refusal to have it is an individual decision of each individual (in relation to a child - his parents or legal representatives), taken on the basis of personal beliefs, knowledge, life experience, as well as taking into account information received from medical professionals, the scientific community and vaccine developers.

The Russian Orthodox Church consistently adheres to the principles of protecting human freedom of choice when it comes to the use or refusal to use new and rapidly developing technologies, including in the field of medicine.  In particular, the Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church emphasizes: “The relationship between a doctor and a patient should be based on respect for the integrity, free choice and dignity of the individual.  Manipulation by a person is unacceptable even for the sake of good intentions ”(XI.3).  Following the stated principle and recognizing, at the same time, the importance of supporting initiatives to overcome the pandemic, including through wide coverage of the population with vaccinations, the round table participants consider it necessary to ensure the freedom of choice for people when it comes to the vaccination against COVID-19 coronavirus infection and reject any form of open  or latent segregation of those people who refuse such vaccination for any reason. It should be noted that the revealed cases of manipulative coercion to vaccination and other actions directed against the above-mentioned freedom of choice, cause a negative reaction in the society and only increase rumors and anxious moods regarding the measures taken in the field of health care.

The concern of a part of the society as to the use of vaccines, including vaccines against coronavirus infection COVID-19, is due, among other reasons, to concerns about the risks of post-vaccination complications and a formal approach to immunization that does not take into account the individual characteristics of people. While noting that the assessment of the effectiveness and the degree of risk of side effects of medications is not within the tasks and competence of the Church, the participants of the round table emphasize the importance of a broad expert and public discussion of these issues and of the proper examination of the used drugs for possible side effects, including delayed ones, as well as certification of these drugs.  It is equally important to fully and comprehensively inform people who make their decisions about vaccination about the degree of its necessity and possible consequences.  A clear and public understanding must also be obtained for the issue of sufficient medical care and social support for the people in the event of severe or long-term post-vaccination complications.

At the same time, the participants of the round table consider as unacceptable and sinful the spread of false teachings that equal the vaccination with the "acceptance of the seal of antichrist", as well as conspiracy theories about the alleged secret chipping of mankind through the vaccination.

The church community is embarrassed by the fact that in the production of some vaccines, including some of the vaccines against coronavirus infection COVID-19, the scientists used cell cultures grown from embryonic human cells obtained as a result of abortion, even if the abortion was made half a century ago or more.  As noted in the Fundamentals of the Social Concept, the Russian Orthodox Church considers as unacceptable "the removal and use of tissues and organs of human embryos, aborted at different stages of development, for attempts to treat various diseases" (XII.7). It should be noted that, according to the information of the developers, the vaccines themselves do not contain cells of embryonic origin, and that the above-mentioned cell cultures have been used to create vaccines for many years.  At the same time, according to the participants of the round table - representatives of the scientific world -  similar embryonic human cell cultures are also used during testing, at the stage of development of other vaccines and many other medical products.  The participants of the round table, having stated this issue, consider that pharmaceutical companies should look for a possibility to use technologies that exclude the use of the mentioned cell cultures.

Taking into account the above, the participants of the round table believe that at present, in the absence of an available alternative, bearing in mind the threat to the health and life of people from COVID-19 coronavirus infection, an Orthodox person using a vaccine against this disease, created or tested using an embryonic  human cell culture, is not involved in the sin of abortion, as a result of which this cell culture was created.  Given the choice between a such vaccine and a vaccine developed without the use of embryonic human cell cultures, the round table participants favour the use of the latter vaccine as more ethically acceptable.

The participants of the round table call for a respectful attitude to the position of those people who consider it possible to use vaccines made with the use of embryonic human cell culture for themselves or their children, as well as to the position of those who refuse such use.

The participants of the round table consider it necessary to continue the discussion of the moral aspects of the widespread medical use of cell cultures grown from human embryonic cells.

***

[1] - See I. Barsukov.  Innokenty, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna, from his writings, letters and  stories of his contemporaries / [Works] by Ivan Barsukov.  - M .: Synod print house, 1883. p.  82-83.