Christians and their Response to COVID-19 Vaccine

Abstract

SARS-Cov-2 and its variants pose a grave danger to human life. With over 5 million deaths recorded already, the availability of a vaccine to help minimize the spread and reduce fatality is laudable. However, vaccine hesitancy resulting from rumours, conspiracy theories, and misinformation about the vaccine could hinder the attainment of the herd immunity necessary to stop the spread. The impact of this  would be increased spread and fatality. As research has been done and is ongoing on the acceptability of the vaccine among different  groups, this paper investigates the response of Christians to the vaccine in Lagos. The qualitative research method was used. Primary  data was collected through questionnaires using google forms. The link for the form was sent to respondents through WhatsApp’s social  media platform. This was to ascertain their vaccination status. Secondary data from credible online journals on the coronavirus and the  vaccine were also used. The fear of being hacked prevented most persons from opening the online link for the form. The Christian  response to vaccination was found to be reasonable as 50.4% of the respondents had at least one dose of the vaccine, and 64.5% were  ready to encourage others to take the Covid-19 vaccine. Dispelling rumours, conspiracy theories, and misinformation through  appropriate theological education of the clergy and improved mobilization is recommended to improve Christian’s response to the    COVID-19 vaccine.