Abstract

NETSHAPAPAME, Tshifhiwa S.. COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in South Africa: Biblical discourse. Herv. teol. stud. [online]. 2023, vol.79, n.4, pp.1-7. ISSN 2072-8050.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/hts.v79i4.7795.

Churches have always been regarded as a safe haven during calamities. This changed during COVID-19 lockdown when churches were forced to shut down. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a new normal to the world at large, calling for immediate action from authorities and introducing vaccination as an antidote. However, some religious practitioners as a vehicle of change through the institution of the church have been acting on the contrary because it discourages the uptake of vaccines, leading to vaccine hesitancy. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has been observed in the Christian community because Christians use Bible verses as a scapegoat for not getting a jab. There is a chasm that exists between faith and science, and it perpetuates the discourse of vaccine hesitancy. CONTRIBUTIONS: This article applies a qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach and seeks to address the conspiracy theories and the use of Bible verses as discourse on vaccine uptake.

Keywords : COVID-19; vaccine; anti-vaccine; hesitancy; Christianity; culture; politics; South Africa.

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