Can "anti-Vaxxers&q uot; explain?

Well ‘religion ‘ is always difficult to deal with in certain circumstances isn’t it?
IMO Everyone who is healthy enough & is offered the vaccine should should have It, those refusing should sign a document to say that they accept they will not be prioritised for any treatment or health care they may need should they be unfortunate to contract Covid.

If they can’t be forced to have the vaccine they cant be forced to sign a document. We have to accept that we don’t live in a totalitarian state and accept their refusal.

I don’t know of any religious reasons to refuse the vaccine. I do know of people who don’t like the Pfizer because of the mRNA and those who don’t like the Oxford AZ because they feel it’s a second class vaccine. Don’t know whether they would refuse all together. I was grateful to get mine and eager to get the second dose!

Well ok , then maybe just don’t treat them, no explanation will be needed.

ie, should they become ill, they would end of the queue to receive any assistance etc

I have allergic reactions to any medication/vaccines,therfore i shall be taking my Gp`s advise.
I also have health issueswhich i needent go into.
If he advises me to have it i shall and keep my fingers crossed.

Myths have been circulating that the vaccines contain pork.

I have heard of people working in the medical profession that are not taking the vaccine, they have not given the reason for their decision so I cannot confirm if it is due to any religious reasons. I am friendly with a worker in a local hospital and she has not taken the vaccine and will not, she just said no to getting vaccinated. In regard of the virus never being eradicated I think it is acknowledged that the Covid virus will be treated as the flu vaccine and will be given annually as it is a virus that is here to stay. It is not just anti-vaxxers that perpetuate the virus, new variants are brought from other countries where the vaccine program is
not as well rolled out as the U.K. and so pockets of virus can spring up anywhere and cause out-break.

Many people refusing the vaccine appear to have concerns about the speed at which it has been developed, that long term side effects are still unknown hence it is not safe.

My friend initially refused her invite to have the jab ( works in a care home) for these reasons but after a conversation with a Consultant she was reassured and changed her mind.

The government will need a huge campaign to convince some people to have the vaccine, I believe this is happening among some faith groups.

Some Roman Catholics won’t accept the vaccine if they believe it has, at any time in its development, involved the use of material from aborted foetuses. Some Muslims (wrongly) believe it may contain animal products that are not Halal. Although Jehovah’s Witnesses lifted their ban on vaccinations in the 1950s, som JWs still refuse to accept vaccinations.

I am not aware of any religion that bans vaccinations per se.

However there have been false rumours that they contain either pig protein and/or alcohol and as a result, in theory, this would preclude Jews, Muslims, Methodists, Vegans and Vegetarians from receiving them.

However, I think it is more likely some people who have accepted some of the anti-vaxx fake facts, feel uncomfortable to admitting to them in a medical organisation and find that the easiest solution is to hide behind the 'religious reasons' excuse, because if challenged that can just accuse the questioner of religious prejudice.

As growstuff has said, a story (totally untrue) was circulated that the vaccines contain pork - therefore Muslim and Jews started to refuse it on that basis. This is being refuted - but seems so much easier for false information to take hold, than corrected ones.

I think what Chris Whitty said yesterday in the Downing Street briefing was very sensible. He said that professionals in the medical/health care sector should have the vaccine. He made the point that surgeons have to agree to the hepatitis vaccination before they operate. I wouldn’t be happy receiving medical/care treatment if the person concerned had not been vaccinated. Also we now know that the vaccine does help to prevent transmission so I would be in favour of a ‘vaccine passport’ that has been carefully considered and does not discriminate against those with medical conditions.

In relation to what growstuff posted, I wonder if the fact that the AZ vaccine uses monkey DNA is an issue? For some religions the concept of having animal 'products' (for the want of a better word) injected into them might be a complete taboo.

My first though was how did they come to work in the medical profession in the first place. My DD 15 years ago had to have basic vaccines to do nursing training. Had this changed?
Jehovah's Witnesses refuse medical interventions but does this include vaccines? MMR tetanus etc too.

NellG but the Pfizer vaccine doesn't, and both are available, with no regional variation. The only people who might be excluded rom the AstraZeneca vaccine,that I can think of, are Vegans, which doesn't yet count as a religion. Possibly Zains, but I cannot think of any others.

NellG

In relation to what growstuff posted, I wonder if the fact that the AZ vaccine uses monkey DNA is an issue? For some religions the concept of having animal 'products' (for the want of a better word) injected into them might be a complete taboo.

The only argument I've heard people mention regarding religion is the pork one, which obviously affects Jews and Muslims (well, it would if it were true).

Just pointing out to a few posters that have mentioned religions on this thread and have said that the only religion that the pork argument would affect would be Jews and Muslims. I am Roman Catholic and my faith also does not eat the flesh of pig (pork) as it has been said this is supposedly not true and there is no pork associated with the vaccine. Do not leave us Catholics out of the pork eating people.

I have been a practising Catholic all my life and the only day we Catholics do not eat any kind of meat is Ash Wednesday or Good Friday.

I have never heard anything like this! The Catholic Church has not discouraged anyone from having the Covid Vaaccine, nor forbidden Catholics to eat pork.
Where is the source of this information?

3nanny6 I didn't know that, yet was brought up by a RC mother ( she was very lapsed though). Glad to learn it though.

Totally out of my depth with facts on this to be fair, but isn't there a specific list in the Bible about which animals are Ok, and which are not? Something about cloven hooves springs to mind.

Also I believe there may be similar lists in the Quran and the Torah?

Sorry to bang on about this, but it's the only realistic reason I can think of as to why trained medical personnel would have any genuine objection to the vaccines.

MaryDoll just asking are you eating meat on all the Fridays through Lent.? I know about eating fish or maybe just vegetables on Ash Wednesday but throughout Lent which started Ash Wednesday I will not eat meat on any Friday up until after Good Friday this is part of our Lentern pathway and if you are a practicing Catholic then you should not be eating meat. Also I did not say The Catholic Church has discouraged anyone from having the Covid vaccine .

NellG the reason for not eating pork in our Catholic family
is like you have said in the Bible there is a list of foods to be avoided. The pig is an animal with a cloven hoof and also cannot regurgitate what it eats. The carcuss and also the meat of the pig is unclean and should not be eaten this is written in the Bible and the same goes for some fish or sea animals we should only eat those with fins and scales they are considered clean. I live my life according to much in the Bible and that makes me no better than anyone else but it is my faith and I follow what I have been brought up in.

I am a practicing Catholic and the idea of not eating meat on Friday is not a rule any more , it was in my childhood .
Our Parish Priest is very partial to a bacon and egg breakfast !
I have never heard of pork being forbidden in the Roman Catholic Church, maybe different rules in Greek Orthodox Church ?
I have had my first vaccine and will get my second dose in a few weeks time

3nanny6 by all means follow the what you have been brought up with, that is your right. However you are mistaken in saying that Catholics are not allowed to eat pork.

I was brought up as a Roman Catholic and educated by nuns and priests. We had a Religious Instruction lesson every day and there was never a mention of a blanket ban on pork.

3nanny6, I'm having to bite my tongue here, otherwise I may later regret what I have posted.
You are are entitled to your opinion, but I'm afraid I don't recognise the Catholicism you practise.