Novavax is a traditional protein vaccine, similar to today’s flu shots, as opposed to the new-style mRNA vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer.  Novavax is derived from moth cells.  The company says it is showing 90% effectiveness.

But here is what makes Novavax distinctive:  It was made with no use of fetal tissue or cell lines from aborted fetuses.

That cannot be said of some of the other vaccines.  Moderna and Pfizer are not made of fetal cell lines, but the testing process did make use of them.  Pro-life groups, including the LCMS, generally believe Moderna and Pfizer vaccines can be taken ethically, though not those of AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson.  But many pro-lifers believe that the way they were tested makes Moderna and Pfizer problematic also.

But, according to the company, “No human fetal-derived cell lines or tissue, including HEK293 cells, are used in the development, manufacture or production of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine candidate, NVX-CoV2373.”

Pro-life activist Abby Johnson, a critic of other vaccines, hailed this development.  “It is my understanding that (Novavax) has been used successfully in several countries with a high efficacy rate,” she said. “It is also my understanding that there are not any ethical concerns regarding Novavax, which is hopeful for pro-lifers who have avoided the vaccine due to those objections.”

Taken from Pro Life Vaccine? article by Gene Veith March 11th, 2022