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Not allowing religious exemptions to vaccines is perceived as discriminatory
No major faith explicitly opposes vaccinations. On the contrary, all major faiths in the U.K. have urged their followers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Nonetheless, several concerns about vaccinations have been identified that arise from religious considerations. These concerns can be divided into four groups.
Although religiosity is not consistently associated with higher vaccine hesitancy when conducting international comparisons, there is tentative evidence that vaccine hesitancy is greater among the religious in an American sample. Vaccination rates are also particularly low among some fundamentalist religious communities around the world.
This theme claims that vaccines are discriminatory to those with religious beliefs, relating it to medical malfeasance. Arguments often claim that religious exemptions to vaccination must be honoured.
People’s religious convictions must be respected and it is understandable to want them to be taken into account when making decisions about their health. Everyone wants their decisions to be consistent with their deepest beliefs and values.
En dialog mellan patienter och hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal är mest produktiv om man förhåller sig empatiskt och ger patienten möjlighet att bekräfta de underliggande orsakerna till attityden, samt att man uttrycker förståelse för dessa. Därför är det viktigt att förstå attitydgrunden bakom personers uppenbara åsikter. Att bekräfta en persons underliggande attitydgrund innebär inte att vi måste instämma i detaljerna i deras argument. Vi kan till exempel bekräfta att:
People’s religious convictions must be respected and it is understandable to want them to be taken into account when making decisions about their health. Everyone wants their decisions to be consistent with their deepest beliefs and values.
The leaders of the world’s major religions support and encourage vaccinations, recognizing that there is no contradiction between vaccinations and their beliefs. Most religions advocate for the protection of human life as an act of love for other humans, which is in line with moral and spiritual values.
Vaccination will protect the vulnerable in our society, who are at greater risk for serious illness if we do not get vaccinated. Asking for an exemption is therefore generally not compatible with the principles of the main religions.
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