For a successful anti-Covid vaccination campaign, it is necessary to inform the public correctly about some aspects, such as the voluntary, free and safe nature of the vaccination act, the fact that it is a right, not an obligation.
Regarding the “safety of the vaccination process”, those who have the professional and moral authority to recommend an absolutely new and recently discovered vaccine are exclusively the specialists in the respective medical field.
In this regard, the Romanian Patriarchate welcomes the good news of the vaccine that could reduce and stop the current pandemic, but the Church cannot rule on strictly medical issues. All the more so in the case of a recent vaccine that has not been used before and about which the specialists in the field pronounce themselves gradually or differently.
The position of the Romanian Patriarchate, which values medical science and its many benefits, has been and remains favourable to vaccination, but constantly stressing the essential need for strict observance of ethical principles: informed consent of the person, clear description of benefits and risks, concrete responsibility if the vaccination has adverse effects on the health of the vaccinated person.
In conclusion, vaccination must be a responsible and fully informed prophylactic act recommended and accepted on the basis of clear and complete information provided by the competent authorities and correctly received by citizens.
In this way, fear and hesitation will be overcome by confidence and hope.
Vasile Bănescu, Spokesman of the Romanian Patriarchate
Photography courtesy of Basilica.ro / Files
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