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Edmonton coalition helps faith leaders preach the truth about COVID-19 vaccines

The Edmonton COVID Rapid Response Collaborative, a collective of 13 agencies aims to persuade the vaccine-hesitant to get COVID-19 vaccination through clinics and roundtable discussions.  (Evan Mitsui/CBC - image credit)
The Edmonton COVID Rapid Response Collaborative, a collective of 13 agencies aims to persuade the vaccine-hesitant to get COVID-19 vaccination through clinics and roundtable discussions. (Evan Mitsui/CBC - image credit)

A group of Edmonton agencies is determined to bust myths and misinformation about the COVID-19 in a push to get those still hesitant, vaccinated.

This week, the Edmonton COVID Rapid Response Collaborative (ECRRC) focused on working with religious leaders, giving them tools to persuade members of their congregations to get the shot.

Six faith leaders in Edmonton joined a roundtable discussion Tuesday north of downtown.

Lisa Jane De Gara, a manager at Action for Healthy Communities, one of 13 agencies involved in the ECRRC, said they're trying to give community leaders advice, tips and support to dispel myths.

"So that when they have individual conversations with members of their congregation, they can convince that last holdout, those last five holdouts, those last 10 holdouts — to get vaccinated."

Science, data and facts don't always persuade people to get vaccinated, De Gara said.

"We know that stories, emotion, anecdote, have a tremendous amount of power — across all communities."

Some leaders report that less than half their congregation is vaccinated, De Gara said.

Vaccine hesitance

Gustave Siniziziye, a community outreach worker with the ECRRC, organized the event where leaders representing the Catholic and Anglican churches and Indigenous and immigrant communities attended, and related several concerns raised by members of their congregation.

One concern expressed at the roundtable highlights resistance some have to the vaccine.

"One of the pastors explained to us that Christians, they think that COVID-19 is something which comes from God and we have to just pray, Siniziziye told CBC News. "Just pray and ask for forgiveness on the sins that we have done."

"In their mind, they think it will be resolved directly by praying and not taking the vaccine."

Some Muslims are concerned the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines contain animal products that are not Halal, Siniziziye said.

De Gara said some of the Jewish community have expressed similar concerns that animal products in the vaccine are not Kosher.

Concerns over the animal products violating religious beliefs are unfounded, they said.

Tuesday, a doctor from Alberta Health Services was on hand to explain the vaccine process and answer questions, Siniziziye said, which helped instil confidence in leaders to relate the message back to their congregations.

"So now they're open to go and preach, explain within sermons and explain about the vaccination," Siniziziye said.

One of the main barriers for immigrant families is language, so the ECRRC prepares simplified English explanations of medical and technical public health information.

It also provides translation for some services in more than 30 languages.

The ECRRC was established to support vulnerable, low-income and immigrant communities during the pandemic.

Catholic Social Services, the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers and Multicultural Health Brokers are among the 13 agencies involved in the project, funded by the Government of Alberta, the City of Edmonton and in-kind support from the federal government.

The collaboration has organized or participated in some 15 vaccine clinics, including the mobile bus clinic in the summer.

This weekend, the collective is hosting a session to discuss the importance of the vaccine for pregnant women.

Dr. Eliana Costillo, a medical expert on pregnancy, will be at the session Saturday at the Killarney Community League, with the option for participants to get their COVID shot on site.

@natashariebe