This week, the Vatican formally stated that it would be "morally acceptable" for followers to get a Covid vaccine, even if the vaccine in question involves the use of cell lines which are derived from aborted foetuses. To recap, religious opinions against vaccines are not uncommon. Throughout the years, most major vaccination campaigns have run into severe religious objections that have generally created a persistent vaccine scepticism in many parts of the world. The Catholic Church, in particular, has no reasonable objections to vaccines themselves. The Vatican has generally held vaccines are not, generally speaking, a moral obligation but depending on the circumstances, can be held as being part of the common good. The fly in the ointment, so to speak, is that the Vatican, like other religious organisations, takes affront to the use of cell lines drawn from aborted foetuses which are used in both testing and development phases for a growing number of vaccines. This complicated messaging has meant that many Catholics have been caught in a severe dilemma as we near-global vaccine rollouts as to whether they are 'morally' in the right to participate in the global vaccination effort. The Vatican response comes not too long after two US bishops denounced the vaccines for being based on abortion and encouraged rank and file Catholics to follow along in refusing to take the vaccine. In its recent announcement, the Vatican specifically stated that in the absence of a morally irreproachable vaccine alternative, it would be permissible for Catholics to get the shot. The Church noted that health authorities do not generally allow citizens to choose the vaccines of their choice in times of such crisis. As such, getting the vaccine may even be considered an act of Christian charity towards the safety and well-being of other members of the community. The Church did however noted that the use of these vaccines should not in any way be taken to be an endorsement of the "morally-compromised" system of using cell lines from aborted foetuses. The Vatican also implored the vaccine makers, governments and international organisations to resist their baser urges and unite to ensure the delivery of affordable and safe vaccines to every part of the world.
As far as endorsements go, the Vatican's endorsement is big. At a time when vaccine confidence among the general public is a matter of great concern, religious leaders hold the power to influence grass root-level change in thinking that cannot be rivalled by any government initiative. While there are plenty of examples of religious leaders making local vaccination efforts more difficult in parts of the world, there are also many-many examples of religious leaders coming together to endorse particular vaccination campaigns and generally building longterm vaccine confidence in their followers. As no religion explicitly bans vaccines, religious communities and leaders can be involved in pushing the benefits of the vaccination campaign to those who would generally not be inclined to otherwise consider them. This is particularly true in a country like the USA where most states allow its citizens to reject vaccines on moral or religious grounds.
Now, as governments around the world make ready to rollout mass vaccination campaigns for the general public, the influence of vaccine scepticism will become clear. Questions on making vaccines mandatory or voluntary will likely be re-examined, particularly if the third wave of the pandemic sweeping the globe continues forth with momentum. But, as history has abundantly shown, a forceful hand by the government in vaccination campaigns can have a significant backlash that may fortify vaccine aversion in communities. While governments have and will continue to be willing to crack down on those who spread antivax theories, the matter of cracking down on vaccine scepticism as a whole is a slippery slope that attempts to balance the greater good against the individual rights of citizens. Thus, governments of the world would do well to include religious leaders and organisations in any functional mass vaccination plans.