Pastors help counter resistance to taking vaccines

| 08/02/2021 | 115 Comments
Cayman News Service
Pastor Dave Jorge of First Baptist Church is given COVID-19 jab

(CNS): Public Health officials have been talking to church leaders to enlist their help in persuading some reluctant congregations to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Premier Alden McLaughlin has said. While most Christian denominations do not formally prohibit vaccines, some members of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormon, Seventh-day Adventists and other conservative churches are suspicious of all vaccines, raising concerns for their health, especially given the demographics of regular churchgoers.

Some pastors have been lining up and getting their photos taken as they received the vaccine to encourage their aging flocks on the importance of the coronavirus jabs, particularly for older and vulnerable people.

At the press briefing last week, McLaughlin confirmed government’s latest target of getting 90% of the over 60s inoculated before any changes are made to the quarantine regime, but he noted that there was still some resistance to taking the vaccine. He said that Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee had been talking to religious leaders about the science to help address the obstacles.

“Some people are still requiring convincing… but the more people that are vaccinated, the more people can give a testimonial,” the premier said. “We are making some extra efforts… talking to… the leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist… and the Cayman Ministers Association as well.”

He added, “The church plays a huge role in this community, which is good. Dr Lee has talked to them and gone through the science of the vaccine… to break down some of the resistance by some people within churches to taking the vaccine.” He noted that because church congregations tend to be older, it was important that they are vaccinated.

Pastor Dave Jorge from the First Baptist Church was one of those who made his own vaccination public, noting that this disease has taken the lives of more than two million people worldwide.

“That we have the vaccine here in Cayman so quickly is a gift from God. Unbelievable!” he said in a testimonial to the community. “I encourage the public to take the vaccine. I did. There’s no microchip in it. Don’t buy into the conspiracy theories and fear. Millions around the world are clamouring for it and we here in Cayman have complete and free access to it. Don’t take it for granted. Take it for life.”

The government here has said they believe the Pfizer vaccine is safe but they have also urged people to find out for themselves by doing their on line research using sound trusted, scientific sources.


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Comments (115)

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  1. shaking my head says:

    Some of you Abortion lovers, selfishly exclaim, “My Body, My Choice” to do an abortion (murder)… Well, I am exclaiming, “My Body, My Choice,” to not get a vaccine!
    Now, respect that!

  2. Anonymous says:

    Officials Investigating Reports of Thrombocytopenia After COVID-19 Vaccine. Nearly 40 cases of thrombocytopenia had been reported to federal health officials as of the end of January, including one fatality.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/08/health/immune-thrombocytopenia-covid-vaccine-blood.html

    https://www.jwatch.org/fw117502/2021/02/08/officials-investigating-reports-thrombocytopenia-after

    Are these sources good enough? Since reading Daily Mail classifies one as a troll.

    • Anonymous says:

      Dr.Bussel(a pediatrician and expert in immune thrombocytopenia), his colleagues and both Pfizer and Moderna are trying to work out who might have this life-threatening reaction, so they could advise these people against getting the vaccine.

      No cases of thrombocytopenia were reported during the trials of either Moderna’s or Pfizer’s vaccines.

    • Anonymous says:

      Compare that to death toll of COVID.

  3. Anonymous says:

    So the pastors are encouraging their members to get the vaccine, yet you take the opportunity to bad mouth them? You are some nasty people.

    • Anonymous says:

      Pastors take every chance they get to tell me I deserve to be burned forever for not paying tithe.

      It’s only fair that I get to highlight how stupid is to believe in fairytales in return.

  4. Anonymous says:

    What is the Government doing about the many queue jumpers? Whilst good community members of society wait inline for their turn, there are many people who are under 60, with no medical conditions and not in frontline jobs bragging about getting their jabs already on social media. Outrageous when at risk people are still waiting to be vaccinated. Some action should be taken against them.

  5. Jess Pratt says:

    Rape cover-ups by Jehovah’s Witnesses from NBC Dateline: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbKXj8R4_X8

  6. Anonymous says:

    Blessed are the vaccine makers

  7. Anonymous says:

    Um… reality check Pastor Jorge. Vaccines are are a product of science, not a gift from God.

    It’s shame prayer doesn’t work. If it did no one would ever need a vaccine.

    It’s weird how so many religious people reject evolution and climate change but are first in line for vaccines and antibiotics. Huge inconsistency there.

  8. Anonymous says:

    We are not afraid to die. In fact, to be absent from this meat suit is to be in the tangible presence of the Creator.

  9. Anonymous says:

    While we’re pi$$ing about trying to make people have the jab, why not let those who are much further down the pecking queue get done.

    Leave the bible bashers to their own devices – they’re brainwashed. Hopefully they’ll be able to see how much use their god if they catch Covid.

    Snap out of it guys, people don’t rise from the grave, there’s nobody watching over us (except the pervert with a drone in Prospect).

  10. Happy to wear my mask says:

    This vaccine is a dna-chain-altering agent. It is not the same as a biological virus being introduced into a healthy body to create resistance to influenza. If anyone develops side effects a few years from now, the pharmaceutical companies cannot be even sued. I do not tell people not to take it, but I am in no rush.

    • Anonymous says:

      mRNA is translated in the cytosol, not the nucleus where DNA is contained.

      In laymans terms: you have no idea what you’re talking about. This vaccine does not edit your DNA.

    • Anonymous says:

      Either you are easily conned to believe anything or you are just plain stupid, I can’t tell anymore.

  11. McCarron McLaughlin says:

    CNS wrote some members of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormon, Seventh-day Adventists and other conservative churches are suspicious of all vaccines, raising concerns for their health, especially given the demographics of regular churchgoers.

    Why you put it like that? Most of these churches follow the old Leviticus Law, cant say I would blame them as I wouldn’t want the DNA of aborted fetuses injected into me either.

    • Anonymous says:

      Thankfully they don’t follow the barbaric laws of Leviticus. If they did they would be executing gays and sabbath breakers.

    • Anonymous says:

      Nice try, except the pfizer vaccine isn’t made from fetus cells, it used genetic sequencing on computers and was therefore labelled ‘ethically uncontroversial’.

    • Anonymous says:

      Don’t recall the passage in Leviticus about not being injected with aborted foetus cells.

    • Anonymous says:

      Where do you people get this stupid information? Are you really that dumb?

  12. Dexter Layman Ebanks says:

    My name is Dexter Layman Ebanks ( 23years young with 50 years experience ) and for those that may not know how to calculate – I am 73 yrs old
    This doesn’t apply to everyone so don’t get me wrong just a little bit of humour – I believe that in Cayman 5 out of 4 person has a Math problem
    Anyway I would like to State that my Friend and I who is 74 yrs old – went and received our two vacine shots with NO SIDE Affects
    It never cease to amaze me how persons can get BRAIN WASHED by religious leaders of Churches
    What if the members of these churches are told not to take the vacine and they get Covid 19 and seriously get sick or DIE will the Religious leaders be paying their medical bills or support their Families
    I DON’T THINK SO.
    God give everyone a Brain “USE IT”
    Two good things came out of the Covid 19 (One) -I built a nice Green House and now I’m reaping wonderful Tomatoes and green peppers Etc. (Two ) the Jahovah Witness doesn’t come knocking on my door any more

    • Anonymous says:

      Very glad to hear it! Stay well!

    • Anonymous says:

      “What if the members of these churches are told not to take the vacine and they get Covid 19 and seriously get sick or DIE will the Religious leaders be paying their medical bills or support their Families”

      If the Pastor is listed as the Executor of dead person’s will/estate, then they may have to pay some of the bills. However, if they are merely named in the will as a recipient of the dead person’s assets (something that I understand to be quite common in Cayman) the bills may not get paid.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Pastor Jorge, the vaccine is NOT, repeat NOT, a “gift from God”. Please stop that nonsense. It’s a gift from the United Kingdom Government to one of its Overseas Territories. “God” does not come into it.

    • Anonymous says:

      And a gift from very smart scientists.

    • Anonymous says:

      True. I could not have said it better!

    • Anonymous says:

      Covid-19 was the gift from god

      • Anonymous says:

        7:52, these Bible bashers like to pick and choose their interpretations of events: Covid comes from Satan but the vaccine comes from God. Bingo! But try asking them where the Holocaust came from and why God did not stop it like he is apparently doing with Covid and you are met with spluttering confusion.

  14. Anonymous says:

    Politicians should be actively out in their own district encouraging their constituents to get the vaccine.

    Please go against the trend of the politician from the smallest and oldest district telling people to wait for the moderna vaccine. You have the oldest average aged voters in the country and you are telling them to wait.
    Please ol politician enlighten the public on your wealth of knowledge about Pfizer/Biontech vaccines, Moderna vaccine, Sputnik vaccine, etc etc etc

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes they should all be doing what Ezzard Miller has done and continues to do in North Side. He has established a team who have visited all the persons in the North side district who are over 60 and not only encouraged them to take the vaccine he organized transportation and an appointment system for the clinic and he personally was present at the clinic helping to organize the flow of patients to get the vaccine

  15. anon says:

    What if, as is quite likely, we don’t get 90% of the over 60’s vaccinated what will the Premier do then – retain our quarantine indefinitely and kiss goodbye to our tourism industry?.

  16. Mike says:

    Why are christians so afraid to die?

  17. Anonymous says:

    He added, “The church plays a huge role in this community, which is good.”

    Did he expand on this at all? Ain’t a damn thing good about it

  18. Anonymous says:

    I would like very much to take the Oxford vax. Do we have any indication that it is coming to Cayman?

    • Anonymous says:

      Talk to the politician from the oldest aged district, that person seems to be encouraging people to wait until it is available – just might have some inside information/insight.

    • Anonymous says:

      I’m waiting on the Cambridge one myself.

    • Anonymous says:

      I was until they had to pull it because it hasn’t been performing well with the new variants. I will gladly take the Pfizer jab in place of someone who won’t.

    • Anonymous says:

      Isn’t that the one that is only about 60% effective in the elderly?

  19. Gray Matter says:

    If they believe that the vaccine is the Devil .. so be it. When it’s too late they will wish they took the little prick.

  20. Anonymous says:

    The second dose turns you gay.

  21. Anonymous says:

    But they have no problem consuming diabetes and cancer causing alcohol and junk food. Ignorance, pure and simple.

  22. Anonymous says:

    Glad to see this and full credit to them. But think how crazy the world has become that we now see fundamentalist Christian pastors speaking out as the voice of reason and promoting scientific solutions to real-world problems. (Just don’t tell them that viruses evolve)

  23. Anonymous says:

    The worse thing about this worldly insistence – they give you 21 days to monitor your reactions to the Covid vaccine. But smarty, you don’t have to react within that time frame. It could be after 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, or more before you get negative effects … SO, NOOOOO. I AM A HEALTHY PERSON. I DO NOT NEED YOUR VACCINE! AND MY BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE MOST HIGH! I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR HOW I TREAT THIS TEMPLE!

    Peace 🙂

    • Anonymous says:

      Indeed, but your education could do with some work.

    • Anonymous says:

      Healthy person too but in the not too distant future a vaccination card will be required to travel as was required some years ago.

    • Anonymous says:

      Facts not your random thoughts please… what religion are your practicing in that temple of yours? In this case I prefer science to protecting your temple which are in incompatible:

      The science is understandable and here it is:

      The vaccine is actually dissolved by the body, after injection, the vaccine particles bump into cells and fuse to them, releasing mRNA. The cell’s molecules read its sequence and build spike proteins. The mRNA from the vaccine is eventually destroyed by the cell, leaving no permanent trace of the vaccine.

      The cell presents fragments of the spike protein on its surface. When other cells called helper T-cells detect these fragments, the helper T-cells can raise the alarm and help marshal other immune cells to fight the infection.

      The antigen-presenting cells can also activate another type of immune cell called a killer T-cell to seek out and destroy any coronavirus-infected cells that display the spike protein fragments on their surfaces
      OK we have 2 types of antibody cells.

      The vaccine does not change your immune system T cells, what it does do is show them a target to hit should it see it again. It shows the guards at your ‘temple’ doors, should you see this virus then you should not let it in and try and kill it. It doesn’t change anything else in your temple.

      So you don’t want the vaccine that’s your choice but its a little bit selfish if you are healthy then you may survive but what about the older generation or those with cancer on the island that you may pass the virus on to ‘when’, and I mean ‘when’, covid 19 re appears on our shores. We need enough people to get the vaccine so that it cannot spread on the Island. The latest UK research shows that the vaccine we are getting stops the spread at around 65% at least. You may not realize now, but we have been given a very precious opportunity we cannot waste, and those in our region can only dream about getting the access to a vaccine we have here, look at the poor folk in Jamaica no sign of the vaccine there yet. Time for that temple of yours to allow the vaccine in – not to change your religion but show it what not to allow inside = COVID 19!

      • Anonymous says:

        Selfish ??? It’s his or her temple! You haven’t proven anything, nor convinced me that a vaccine in my body is needed.

        • Anonymous says:

          You have probably already been given vaccines as a child, and have taken all sorts of medicines over the years as required!
          Are you overweight, diabetic, are you smoking or drinking, do you exercise to keep your “temple” in good condition?!

    • Anonymous says:

      Then by all means go to the frontline in USA/Brazil/South Africa/etc and help out if you are so christian and untouchable. Forgo a mask for another soul who does not want to die and please don’t take a ventilator away from a person who tried to not get infected.

  24. Anonymous says:

    If you’re dumb enough to only be convinced by a pastor that getting vaccinated is a good idea, then I guess literally Lord help you.

    Don’t let these religious zealots also be aware of things like ‘gayness’ has been noted in almost every species on the planet. That would blow their minds.

    • Anonymous says:

      “Don’t let these religious zealots also be aware of things like ‘gayness’ has been noted in almost every species on the planet. That would blow their minds.”

      Absolute f*ing horseshit psychobabble. Show me ONE peer reviewed scientific study that shows “gayness” as in: an animal voluntarily choosing the same sex over the opposite sex, *when the opposite was present in the study*, in ANY other species other than humans. There are plenty of bullshit studies out there for example confining a bunch all-male dogsin a cage for weeks, and when they would have/attempt intercourse between themselves from pure instinct, the “scientists” would claim “See! you have gay dogs!” Now try putting a female dog in here in there and see what happens…

      The only thing that is *noted* is your bullshit.

  25. Anonymous says:

    Reported today:
    Man in his 70s collapses and dies just 25 minutes after receiving COVID-19 vaccine in NYC – as officials say he ‘didn’t have allergic reaction’

    CNS: If you troll the internet to find every single example of someone dying after taking a vaccine dose you will get a ridiculously skewed impression of the risks, but in all cases that I have seen the cause of death is not known. Also from the Daily Mail, where I think you got this: “At least one dose of a vaccine has been administered to 31,579,100 million people, which equals to 9.6 percent of the population.”

    Right now the experts’ advise, especially for older people, is still to take the vaccine as the risk of not taking it is very much higher, because the aim is to open the borders, thus potentially bringing in the virus. People can google the info themselves if they want to know more.

  26. Anonymous says:

    More doses for the people who actually want it 🤷🏻‍♂️

    • Anonymous says:

      But only if they will give it to us – instead of waiting for those who don’t believe in it to sign up. Should be a cut off time. Once your group has had say 2 weeks to decide tot take it they should move on to the next group. Previous groups can still get it if they want but they are not then holding everyone to ransom. We haven’t got past 65 year olds and high risk exposure s yet.

      • Anonymous says:

        Yes!!!! Very well put. Why are we waiting for those elderly who have no intention of taking it?

      • Anonymous says:

        I agree! I don’t personally want the vaccine but let’s get this program moving for those that do want it!

        Each phase needs a set cutoff date. Once that date passes, move to the next phase regardless of how many eligible people did/didn’t show up. Obviously, anyone that was once eligible can show up later for the vaccine but let’s avoid holding phases hostage due to no-shows.

        It’s in the best interest of ALL of us to get these vaccines into people that want them and get Cayman opened up.

  27. Anonymous says:

    I applaud them for this. However it would be nice for the pastors to speak out about violence against women by our leaders and for them to cal it for what it is, evil. and condemn them for it particularly when they have been convicted of three counts.

  28. Anonymous says:

    “but the more people that are vaccinated, the more people can give a testimonial”. A political statement not a scientific one. This vaccine is approved for emergency use. People must be able to decided for themselves if they want to be a part of the mass clinical trial. I will take the vaccine, but I listened to nothing the CMO said or what the government said. There are plenty of scientific papers from credible sources freely available in order to make your own decision. A picture of a pastor taking a shot is worthless.

  29. Eduardo Marques says:

    Jehovah’s Witnesses do not prohibit vaccines and Jehovah’s Witnesses members are not suspicious about vaccination.

    • Anonymous says:

      Well don’t come knocking on my door when the doses run out. Or ever.

    • Anonymous says:

      You’re right, they are far too busy incorrectly predicting the end of the world over and over. They don’t have time to worry about vaccines.

  30. Anonymous says:

    Should just let natural selection take its course instead of convincing the horse to drink the water. They don’t “believe in” evolution, after all.

    • Anonymous says:

      Evolution is a belief structure. I don’t believe it but I am not going to hate those who do.
      Your life, your choice.

      • Anonymous says:

        LOL at people who LOL at science.

      • _||) says:

        I quoted “believe in” because it takes no faith. It’s like saying you need faith to believe that the sky is blue. Empirical evidence of physiological changes, isotopically dated archaeological records and genomic sequencing has established the evolutionary tree of life from a common ancestor.

        If Christopher Columbus wrote that there was a 4th Cayman Island, would you believe it simply because “it is written”??

        No, you would require evidence of said 4th island existing. Not a fairytale.

      • Anonymous says:

        Evolution exists as it has been observed in the natural world. Believing in it is irrelevant.

      • Anonymous says:

        Evolution is reality, not a “belief structure”. If you learned science from anyone other than a scientifically ignorant preacher you would have no issue with accepting it. Sadly you have been misinformed and lied to so much that you now confidently reject something you don’t even understand.

        But life keeps evolving regardless.

    • ATB says:

      The irony here is so absolutely hilarious.

      I remember sitting in a church during a close friend’s funeral in Feb 2017. First time sitting in a church since I left it in about a decade. I respectfully sat quiet, but Pastor Ebanks used the opportunity of a funeral to call me / atheists / people who “believe in science” fools and to turn towards godly instruction during his message. Real smooth way to send off my friend. Left such a bitter taste in my mouth – was that evangelism?

      Only to have him come to my mother last week and say, “I know I’ve preached against science, but trust it now.”

      • Anonymous says:

        You hit the nail on the head, and anyone who attends these churches who hear that BS and don’t call it out are too far lost to even help see the light. I don’t give a rats ass if you want to believe in some imaginary flying smiter, just don’t let it hinder actual science and human rights.

    • Anonymous says:

      But then we have a conundrum do we not? If we take the vaccine we are interfering with the natural selection process and evolution. The process of evolution should not be interfered with. The weak must die so the survival of the fittest passes on the immunity.

      • Anonymous says:

        Natural selection will take those that are too stupid to not see the advancement in sciences that have kept us alive longer.

      • Anonymous says:

        False.

        The “strong” members of the “Homo” genus learned/evolved to use tools to survive / gather food. Ie Homo sapiens, or us.

        Some “weak” members did not learn to use tools to fight or farm, and have gone extinct.

        • Anonymous says:

          You are trying to compare apples with oranges. Tools will do you no good in a famine for example. Food crops destroyed by disease etc. Similarly human disease is to expel the weak and leave the strongest. That is evolution!

          • Anonymous says:

            A vaccine is a tool for survival which will allow passage of genetic information to a new generation.

            • Anonymous says:

              A vaccine is not a tool, it is a man made synthetic medicine. What part of ‘natural selection’ do you not understand?

              • Anonymous says:

                Natural selection selected the intelligent beings who developed tools. The tribes who don’t have computers have died off.

                What part of intelligent behavior is a result of evolution don’t you understand? The ability to cook food led to bigger brains. The ability to use robots/machines to farm led to more Homo sapiens surviving.

    • Anonymous says:

      Spot the flat Earther….

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