As governments and international organisations work together to determine who will get the COVID-19 vaccine first and how quickly, several faith organisations and leaders have raised moral questions in policy discussions around vaccine distribution.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) & the World Jewish Congress (WJC) have released a joint paper asking for global equity in the distribution of available vaccines, ensuring those living in poorer countries are not excluded.
Maram Stern, Executive Vice President WJC, said “The document is drafted in a spirit of interfaith dialogue and cooperation, drawing inspiration from our respective Jewish and Christian traditions, which have helped to guide us through this life-changing time.”
The paper urges religious leaders of all faiths to “consider confronting publicly the unsubstantiated rumours and conspiracy myths which undermine public trust in health authorities and services and in tested and approved vaccines themselves – and that thereby threaten an effective public health response to the pandemic. In some cases, such conspiracy myths have an explicitly antisemitic basis which should in any event be denounced,” reads the paper.
Zafar Khan, Chair of Luton Council of Faiths said, “We hope and anticipate that sooner rather than later, we shall be able to get the virus under control. Reflecting on the past twelve months’ challenges, we must feel confident in the fact that despite our human failings, we have God-given inner strengths and fellow feelings as the most effective means to keep going.”
In the New Year, we light a candle of HOPE for a better world and better life for all