Recent measles outbreaks at several Catholic institutions across the United States have sparked concerns about disease exposure and renewed debate surrounding vaccination. Understanding vaccine perspectives is crucial for public health officials as they work to contain outbreaks and maintain community immunity.
An outbreak of measles was reported on the campus of Ave Maria University, near Naples, Florida, beginning in late January. University officials quickly implemented isolation and quarantine measures for those exposed or infected.
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On February 8, the Washington, D.C. Department of Health reported “multiple confirmed cases of measles” at locations connected to the Catholic Church in the District, including the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the National March for Life, and The Catholic University of America.
Amid these outbreaks, health officials are urging the public to ensure they are up-to-date on vaccinations, particularly the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
The Church recommends vaccination, recognizes autonomy
Public health experts have raised alarms about the increasing number of individuals who are partially or fully unvaccinated in the U.S. In recent years.
Other health advocates and commentators have voiced concerns regarding the U.S. Vaccine schedule, arguing that infants and young children receive an excessive number of shots in their early months and that recent schedules should be reviewed and potentially shortened to align with recommendations from other countries.
Some Catholic and pro-life advocates have also raised concerns about vaccines, citing the use of cell lines derived from human fetal tissue obtained decades ago in their development.
Deacon Tim Flanigan, a medical doctor and professor of infectious diseases at Brown Medical School, described vaccines as “the most effective way to prevent many severe viral illnesses,” especially among children.
He noted that current measles numbers in the U.S. Represent a “terrible epidemic,” with over 2,000 cases reported in 2025. He also pointed out that up to 5% of children with measles may require hospitalization and can experience complications such as seizures, brain infection, and pneumonia.
For those with pro-life concerns about vaccines produced using fetal cells, Flanigan explained that the Church “encourages the use of vaccines, whenever possible, that are not derived from an aborted fetal cell line.”
“When that is not available, and the only available vaccine has been cultivated from cell lines originally derived in the distant past from an aborted fetus, the Church does not recommend avoiding the use of that effective vaccine,” he stated.
Catholics are still obligated to demand ethical vaccine production
Joseph Capizzi, a professor of moral theology and ethics at The Catholic University of America, stated that the relationship between vaccines and abortion “has been a concern for the Church since the development of the vaccine.”
“The Church has cautioned against the use of vaccines that depend illicitly (or depended) on cells derived from the destruction of human beings and the mistreatment of the human body,” he said.
However, “the Church has also noted that, in certain circumstances, concern for public health as part of the common fine might lead to using an ethically problematic vaccine when no other alternative exists, provided that one advocates for the production of ethical alternatives.”
This balance, Capizzi said, underscores “the importance of the obligation to serve the common good in Catholic doctrine.”
Both Capizzi and Flanigan acknowledged that, the Church leaves that discernment to each individual. The Church “affirms the right of an individual, in conscience, to object to mandatory vaccination,” Capizzi said.
But “if my objection is merely a ‘concern,’ and given the needs of public health, the Church continues to urge Catholics that they have an obligation to receive the ‘basic care’ of their communities, including reasonable vaccination,” he noted.
Flanigan said the Church “recognizes the importance of autonomy and that the final decision to accept a vaccine or any medical intervention rests with the judgment of each individual.”
However, he pointed out that the teachings of the Catholic Church “call on all to seriously consider the advice of medical experts, both for our own health, the health of our families, and the health of the community.”
Addressing vaccines with a virtuous mindset
John Brehany, executive vice president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), told EWTN News that the magisterium “has never condemned the theory or practice of immunization” and “has frequently promoted both over the last 200 years.”
“Magisterial teachings on ethical issues surrounding immunization have focused on vaccines manufactured with cell lines derived from abortion,” he said.
The Church “has condemned the practice of taking and using these human cells,” he said, but has also taught “that vaccines produced with them may be used under certain conditions.”
Brehany said the matter is “very complex.” He noted that Church leaders “have at times encouraged or required those under their authority to accept immunization,” and the Church itself “teaches that citizens should obey just laws, and some laws require immunization.” However, there does not appear to be “any formal magisterial teaching or any specific statement in the Catechism on vaccines,” he said.
The bioethics center, he added, “maintains that This proves critical to transcend extreme positions and polemical terminology” such as “anti-vaxxer” and “vax fanatic.” He said the NCBC “strives to remain faithful to the teachings of the Church, drawing on the deepest resources of Catholic moral tradition to address the most complex contemporary problems in health care and biomedical research, including immunization.”
Brehany said Catholics might consider adopting a “virtuous” approach to the issue of vaccines, which he described as including a “careful assessment of available information about all benefits and risks (or side effects)” of each vaccine, as well as ensuring sources are “truthful and reliable.”
A patient could then develop the decision that best promotes their health, the health of their dependents, and then the health of the community.
Regarding whether a Catholic can refuse a vaccine, Brehany noted there is no simple answer.
“There are many practical considerations: details about the individual recipient’s circumstances (age, health status, etc.); about the nature of the disease(s) against which protection is sought (some highly contagious, like measles; others not contagious, like tetanus); the nature of the vaccines, some of which contain antigens for five different diseases at once, etc.,” he explained.
“There are different sources of obligation, including laws or regulations requiring acceptance of various vaccines. Some relate to educational settings; others to employment settings; and still others to travel,” he indicated.
He added: “It is important to consider all of these aspects, whether in terms of the health and ethical goals being pursued or the opportunities that might be foregone if a vaccine is rejected.”
“Still, a vaccine is a medical intervention that can affect the body for decades. Decisions about medical interventions should be made with free and informed consent. When consent is denied or treatment is refused for sound reasons, that decision should be respected,” he noted.
Brehany emphasized that “virtue also requires finding an optimal and balanced approach between extremes: not being carried away by emotions like fear; not accepting, through laziness, a superficial answer; not adopting an ‘all or nothing’ approach,” he said. “The virtue of prudence can help individuals make good decisions about concrete options.”
He also pointed out that, with respect to vaccines, one should not focus solely on the patient or parents, and that “other people and organizations have important ethical obligations.”
“For example, health care professionals have an ethical and legal duty to obtain informed consent from patients and parents,” he said. “Governments and pharmaceutical companies have an ethical and legal obligation to ensure that vaccines are truly safe and effective, are improved whenever possible, and that adverse events are adequately investigated.”
he noted, “schools and state public health agencies have an ethical obligation to ensure that their policies regarding unvaccinated students are well-founded and applied fairly.”
“Of course, fulfilling these ethical responsibilities can be very difficult,” he said. “But it is essential to respecting the common good and promoting the common welfare,” he noted.
Published originally in EWTN News.
Daniel Payne
Daniel Payne is a senior editor at Catholic News Agency. He previously worked at College Fix and Just the News. He lives in Virginia with his family.
