Church not discipled for vaccination crusade
THE GOVERNMENT has failed to enlist the voice and muscle of the Church in amassing support for the proposed COVID-19 vaccination campaign, buy-in that could be crucial if the country aims to achieve herd immunity.
Head of local church groups, including the Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches (JUGC), said that while they are willing to assist, they have not been formally approached by the Government to help with the public awareness.
The roll-out of coronavirus vaccination is expected to begin this month.
Chairman of the JUGC, the Reverend Peter Garth, said that the Church is aware of the overwhelming anti-vaccination sentiment being expressed by some Jamaicans - a trend consistent with pockets of global resistance - but he feels that the scale of the clergy’s reach could change negative perceptions.
The JUGC represents an estimated 97 per cent of churches in Jamaica, comprising seven church umbrella groups. This includes the Jamaica Council of Churches, Jamaica Full Gospel Churches, Jamaica Association of Evangelical Alliance, the Jamaica Pentecostal Union Apostolic, Church of God in Jamaica, Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, and the Independent Churches of Jamaica.
“I do believe that there is a need for a campaign in Jamaica. I am not antivaccine, but a number of persons are anti-vaccine, they won’t even take a flu shot, so work needs to be done, and I think that the Church can help because of how we are positioned,” said Garth.
Permanent secretary in the health ministry, Dunstan Bryan, said the Church will play a part on the vaccine commission.
Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has stated that the influence of anti-vaxxers could thwart the Government’s vaccination drive, with only 16 per cent targeted in calendar year 2021. It requires inoculation of around 70-80 per cent of the population to achieve herd immunity.
The Government has budgeted $422 million for a robust communication campaign to convince Jamaicans to take the jab.
President of the Jamaica Council of Churches, the Reverend Newton Dixon, said the group has been asked to be part of the COVID-19 Vaccination Commission that will provide policy guidance for the deployment of the vaccines.
He stated, however, that there have been no requests so far for the Church to assist in the public education campaign.
“That may be coming in the future,” he said.
Dixon believes the Church has a responsibility to help counter negative views about vaccines.
“We do not see any evidence, sufficient evidence, to hold a view that the vaccinations are a part of a conspiracy or that they are Anti-Christ or against our beliefs,” said Newton, whose group represents 11 denominations and three Christian organisations.
National superintendent for the influential United Pentecostal Church of Jamaica, Bishop O’Garth McKoy, said he has been asked by congregants to give his personal views on the vaccine. The church is currently hosting its annual convocation, which has as many as 7,000 attendees virtually.
“We have decided that we will have to have an official response by latest Thursday of this week at the close of our convention,” he said.
The senior clergyman said that despite the flurry of conspiracy theories, Jamaicans should embrace the vaccines approved by the Government.
The AstraZeneca, which Jamaica will distribute, received the blessings of the World Health Organization on Monday. A number of European countries have not approved its use for people older than 65 because of a lack of relevant trial data.
Garth said that several churches have started promoting vaccination and are educating their congregations. The Jamaica Association of Evangelical Alliance has set a meeting for March 12 to discuss the vaccines, among other issues.
Tufton signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the private sector on Tuesday as the Government seeks to increase the velocity of the COVID-19 vaccine procurement and distribution. The signing was observed by several publicsector partners, including the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association, and the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce.
“The vaccine is not mandatory now; right now it is really about moral suasion, which is why we have to get the country to appreciate why it is important, ”Tufton said at the event.