Cleo Devine Ceniza

20-1-02179

PHLO11- Ethics

Assessment 1

In the process of producing a vaccine to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, scientists have been generating
or developing the vaccines from fetal tissue or fetal cells which were derived from an aborted fetus.

The moral dilemma in this issue is one of the most widely debated topics: whether or not abortion is
morally and ethically right or good. Also, whether it is morally right for the scientists to have used
fetal cells in the production of the vaccines. The moral agent in this issue are the women who had
opted for an abortion. These abortions were elective and voluntary. They had decided for themselves
to terminate their pregnancies. It is those who are pro-choice in matters of abortion. They are the
agents and characters who are doing the act of which is being questioned morally. The moral act is
the act of aborting the child or choosing to abort the fetus. The doctors and medical health
professionals are only assisting the moral agent to do the moral act. They are acting on their
profession and oath to serve the people and choose medically approved choices. Just because they
implement the act does not mean each and everyone of their morals agree with it. The reasoning for
this moral act to be carried out is solely within the personal reasons or other of the mother.
The scientists who used the aborted fetuses

Personal level
People have different reasons and views on whether or not abortion should be legal. Women who get
abortions also have different reasons and views on why they choose to do it. It is very difficult for
sure, to decide that the fetus or embryo living inside of you, to die. One may not view abortion as a
bad thing but if you are Filipino, there is the engraved catholic guilt that is buried within us all. In this
issue, the abortion does take place. Some reasoning I can imagine would be about financial matters,
the psychological well-being of the parent; some parents may never be mentally stable enough to
care for another human being.
People who want to get a dose of the vaccine but are against abortion, this becomes a problem to
them. The making of the vaccine did not take into consideration the people who might not be for or
supportive in its methods. Also, it is not like they can choose to not get the vaccine as there is a
pandemic and the health and well-being of eahc and everyone is of utmost importance and urgency.

Organizational level
The scientists who worked on the vaccine were not all pro-abortion, maybe some where not. But it
was their job to make a safe and effective vaccine. They were acting out of their responsibility. They
probably were torn between using the fetal cells of an aborted fetus to produce and check the
viability of their work, or to not. It may be the correct decision that they have.

Structural or Systemic level

This level of moral dilemma involves the government and big organizations such as WHO
organization. The pandemic came without warning. The government and the scientists were not
prepared for what was about to come. We all did not know, what it will do and the severity of the
effects. The main goal was to protect the community; It was to preserve our healths and well-beings.
They were for sure open to do whatever it was that could help mitigate the problem. This included
using fetal cells in the production of the only cure and answer to the covid pandemic -- vaccines. The
thought going through their great minds was to sacrifice one life in hopes to save millions of others,
and they did. The vaccines work. It was a resource ready to be used and an important step in ensuring
the safety of the vaccines.

To answer the question of is it moral or ethical that the vaccines used fetal cells from aborted fetuses,
the answer is no. The making of the vaccine did not prompt the abortion, they simply used what was
available to them. And it is indeed better to have used the fetal cells in ensuring the safety of more
people.