The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

MEMBERS of the local Rastafarian community will reject the COVID-19 vaccine when it is made available in The Bahamas as it is against their religious beliefs, a representative said.

According to Empress Nicole, of the Women’s Freedom Liberation, Bahama Branch, Rastafarians would rather a more natural approach to keeping the COVID-19 virus at bay.

“Being a mother and a black woman, it would only be natural that one of the main concerns would mostly be with the COVID vaccine that we have been hearing so much about in the media. First, I would like to quote a portion of the Human Rights Article (9) which states that everyone has the freedom of thought, belief and religion and it also goes on, in depth, to talk about one’s preferences in regards to eating and what one would intake,” she told The Tribune.

“From the very inception of Rastafari, it is a known fact that the followers of the Rastafarian faith have strong beliefs and practice in the strict use of all-natural remedies in the case of preventing and curing any illnesses. Hence, it will be our God-given right, as well as our human rights, to reject this COVID-19 vaccine, whenever it reaches this part of the world.”

The government has made a $250,000 down payment to secure a COVID-19 vaccine through the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), however Minister of Health Renward Wells has stressed that no one will be forced to take the injection once it becomes available.

“No matter what vaccine is recommended by PAHO or any other organisation, Bahamian residents are to be assured that the vaccines will be subject to all appropriate trials approved by notable agencies and will be available to Bahamians who wish to take the vaccine,” Mr Wells said in October.

“I wish to emphasise that a COVID-19 vaccine will not be forced on anyone who does not wish to take it.”

This comes amid scepticism in some quarters about the new COVID-19 vaccines, which were produced in record time by scientists around the globe. The United States and the United Kingdom have both begun vaccinating their citizens against the new coronavirus, however the Bahamas is not expected to receive a vaccine until at least Spring 2021 or later.

Amid the vaccine roll out, there have been reports that some people have experienced severe allergic reactions after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

On its website, the US Centre for Disease Control says it “understands some people may be concerned about getting vaccinated” for the disease.

However, the CDC has sought to calm these fears.

“All COVID-19 vaccines that are in development or being distributed are being carefully evaluated in clinical trials and will be authorised or approved only if they make it substantially less likely you’ll get COVID-19,” the CDC says.

“Based on what we know about vaccines for other diseases and early data from clinical trials, experts believe that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19.

“Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

“Experts continue to conduct more studies about the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on the severity of illness from COVID-19, as well as its ability to keep people from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19,” the CDC says.

Shifting gears, Empress Nicole said perhaps Rastafarians are just misunderstood because of their religious beliefs.

She said: “As a Rastafarian woman and a healer, this (COVID-19 vaccine) really concerns me. Growing up in Rastafari, as a student I was very involved in various sports and extracurricular activities, I was faced with a lot of discrimination and a lot of misinterpretation of Rastafari and the way that we carry ourselves. There are a lot of things that we don’t deal with like saying the pledge and the national anthem as we pledge our allegiance to Ethiopia, Africa.”

The Tribune contacted several health officials to ascertain if there was education available on the vaccine for people like the Rastafarians. However, health officials did not respond up to press time.