The December 18, 2020 event was hosted by the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI) and co-sponsored by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University and the World Faiths Development Dialogue (WFDD) as part of the Religious Responses to COVID-19 project.

Challenging equity issues—including allocation of limited supplies of vaccines, setting priorities for vaccination, and significant vaccine hesitancy—could complicate efforts to address the COVID-19 emergencies in the months ahead. Religious communities and leaders can play significant roles in addressing these challenges.

A consultation on “Religious Responses and Engagement on COVID-19 Vaccines” explored these issues on December 18, 2020. The invitation-only event included about 20 representatives of faith-inspired organizations, public health experts, and development practitioners.

Participants explored specific ways in which religious institutions, beliefs, leaders, and practices can contribute strategically to an expedited rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. The discussion, as a continuation of ongoing exchanges, focused on faith engagement in immunization by drawing on experience from past health crises, including the Ebola outbreaks and HIV/AIDS epidemic. Experts also considered what is known and what needs to be ascertained in assessing contemporary responses, as well as practical solutions looking forward.

Link to Resource in the Berkley Center website.