Faith Leaders Get COVID-19 Shot to Curb Vaccine Reluctance

Several dozen clergy members in Washington, D.C., got vaccinated against COVID-19 earlier this week during an interfaith "vaccine confidence" event, in a bid to encourage others to get inoculated, reports the Associated Press . The goal of the event was to help curb reluctance to get immunized among populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic. While the District has offered vaccinations to residents older than 65, statistics indicate older Americans in neighborhoods with some of the highest numbers of poor and Black people are laggards in getting vaccinated. "Unfortunately many who could most benefit because they are at highest risk of serious and even life-threatening infections are still holding back, worried about stories they hear, skeptical, unimpressed by how government has previously shown interest in their medical care," said U.S. National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins. Melissa Rogers with the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships said working with faith communities is crucial to the vaccination effort because many people are more comfortable getting their shot in houses of worship, and religious leaders are highly trusted by these communities.