{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,2]],"date-time":"2026-08-02T20:45:11Z","timestamp":1785703511563,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":55,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785369600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Linacre Q"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Recent federal court cases involving termination of employees who were denied a religious exemption to refuse COVID-19 vaccination mandated by employers renewed the discussion of the morality of using medicines produced and\/or tested in cell lines derived from elective abortions. A common argument of employers in these lawsuits was that the association of COVID-19 vaccines and certain over-the-counter (OTC) medicines with past abortions was equivalent. Therefore, the use of OTC medicines but refusal of COVID-19 vaccines represented a contradiction to a sincerely held religious belief. In this commentary, we demonstrate that the association of COVID-19 vaccines and certain OTC drugs (aspirin, ibuprofen, Benadryl, and Claritin) with past abortions is not equivalent. We outline the Catholic church's position on the use of medicines with an association with elective abortions and demonstrate how Catholic doctrine supports religious-exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates citing a tenet of the faith, respect for all human life.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/00243639261456061","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T15:40:52Z","timestamp":1785426052000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Catholic Doctrine Supports Religious Exemption to COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6235-411X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kyle C.","family":"McKenna","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Franciscan University of Steubenville"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-0132-6328","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Curt","family":"McGovern","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Franciscan University of Steubenville"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-6140-3737","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Meredith","family":"Sabol","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Franciscan University of Steubenville"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_2_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa2035389"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.abe1502"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41541-020-00243-x"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_5_1","unstructured":"Chan Erikson J. 2022. \u201cPro-Lifers Question Novavax\u2019s Fetal Tissue Claim. Did the Company\u2019s COVID-19 Vaccine Employ Cell Lines from Aborted Fetal Tissue During Testing?\u201d World June 16. https:\/\/wng.org\/roundups\/pro-lifers-question-novavaxs-fetal-tissue-claim-1655411473."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_6_1","unstructured":"Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. 1987. Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation Replies to Certain Questions of the Day. Vatican. http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/roman_curia\/congregations\/cfaith\/documents\/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19870222_respect-for-human-life_en.html."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_7_1","unstructured":"Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. 2008. Instruction Dignitas Personae: On Certain Bioethical Questions. Vatican. http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/roman_curia\/congregations\/cfaith\/documents\/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20081208_dignitas-personae_en.html."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_8_1","unstructured":"Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. 2021. \u201cNote on the Morality of Using Some Anti-COVID-19 Vaccines.\u201d Vatican. https:\/\/www.vatican.va\/roman_curia\/congregations\/cfaith\/documents\/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20201221_nota-vaccini-anticovid_en.html."},{"key":"e_1_3_2_9_1","first-page":"212","article-title":"Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Omnibus COVID\u201319 Health Care Staff Vaccination","volume":"86","author":"Department of Health and Human Services","year":"2021","unstructured":"Department of Health and Human Services. 2021. \u201cMedicare and Medicaid Programs; Omnibus COVID\u201319 Health Care Staff Vaccination.\u201d Federal Register 86: 212. https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/app\/details\/FR-2021-11-05\/2021-23831\/summary.","journal-title":"Federal Register"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa2116185"},{"key":"e_1_3_2_11_1","unstructured":"European Medical Agency. 2020. 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