The pandemic continues to inflict significant harm on our nation and world. The plague has brought illness and death, financial challenge, and emotional distress, and the toll is rising. The arrival of the vaccines has given us reason to be hopeful. However, in order to get maximum participation in the vaccination campaign, this is the moment for government to partner with our faith communities.
The vaccine will only be effective if people get it. And the challenges to that are both emotional and logistical. Emotional, due to the concerns people may have about the vaccine’s safety and efficacy given the record speed of its development. The logistical challenge is that our country has never undertaken the overwhelming task of inoculating tens of millions of its people in a matter of months. How many people at a time will be able to make appointments and line up at the CVS, Walgreens, or the doctor’s office? It is simply unrealistic.
Here is where our faith communities can help. We represent hundreds of houses of faith throughout North America. Our congregations and their members are eager to participate in the vaccine program with the strong encouragement of their leaders.
The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.