UPDATE: For clarity, this article was updated on 2/2/2021, with statements of the use of MRC-5 and HEK 293 cell lines in the design and testing of some vaccines.
At the time of writing (7/12/2020), there are 78 COVID-19 vaccines in development. Thirteen are in third stage trials, and seven have limited approval for use. The Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine was the first to be approved for use in the UK on 2 December 2020.
Concerns have been expressed on social media that COVID-19 vaccines are made from aborted fetuses, and some people object to the vaccines on religious and ethical grounds.
Most of the COVID-19 vaccines in development do not use human cell lines in their production. For example, Pfizer and Moderna use mRNA technology. Continue reading COVID-19 vaccines and aborted fetuses