The New Orleans Archdiocese asked Louisiana Catholics not to take the Johnson and Johnson vaccine if they can help it, but Governor John Bel Edwards, a practicing Catholic, disagreed.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued the guidelines asking parishioners to try and get the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines instead because of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine’s use of abortion-derived cells in the manufacturing process. Governor Edwards countered and said Louisianans should take whatever vaccine they are first offered.
“You do have to weigh this with the common good of ending a pandemic. There is an imperative that we do this and the fastest way that we do this is to employ all of the vaccines,” said Edwards, who added that he looked at documents from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Vatican sources before coming to the conclusion that Catholics should take the J&J vaccine.
Edwards said Archbishop Gregory Aymond’s guidelines suggest the decision should be made on a personal level in consultation with your healthcare provider.
“I do not read his statement as completely telling people who are Catholic or otherwise not to avail themselves of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine,” said Edwards.
The Ggovernor also noted there is some disagreement on the issue from the neighboring Baton Rouge Catholic diocese.
"If for any reasonable circumstance you are only able to receive the vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, you should feel free to do so for your safety and for the common good," said Bishop Michael G. Duca. "I have consulted with Catholic health care representatives, and I understand and appreciate their serious challenges as to the acquisition and equitable distribution of all three vaccines. I therefore support their policy of administering any of the vaccines as circumstances require."
Gov. Edwards said for the foreseeable future healthcare providers will not be able to offer patients a choice between different vaccines because of logistical concerns.
“There’s no way to do that and be a model of efficiency in terms of spreading the vaccines across the state and making it available to the most number of people,” said the governor.
