[slumdev]

It's probably the mention of chicken eggs.

Some vaccines are grown in HEK 293 cells. HEK 293 is a cell line taken from an aborted fetus. (HEK -> Human Embryonic Kidney). Many people consider vaccines grown in HEK 293 to be immoral. Chicken eggs are a moral alternative medium.

It doesn't necessarily apply in this case because the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was only tested on HEK 293, not grown in it. (Moderna's vaccine, conversely, was grown in HEK 293.) Some people still consider the testing to be immoral. Some don't.

[mprovost]

It's true that some people consider it to be immoral but the Vatican has said that it's morally acceptable given the current circumstances and lack of alternatives. [0]

[0] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55409693

[johncalvinyoung]

Source on Moderna's vaccine being grown in HEK 293? The things I've read stated otherwise, such as this handout from North Dakota's health department: https://www.health.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/COVID%20...

[flobosg]

> Moderna's vaccine, conversely, was grown in HEK 293

Do you have a link to confirm that? I thought that Pfizer/BioNTech as well as Moderna used HEK cells solely for testing.

[fabian2k]

All mRNA vaccines are produced by in vitro transcription, that uses enzymes but involved no cells or any cell cultures like HEK 293.

[yosito]

> Moderna's vaccine, conversely, was grown in HEK 293.

This is false. Moderna's vaccine is synthesized, not grown.