Sometimes it's hard to remember how our lives used to be before covid-19. Within the past year a vaccine for covid-19 has emerged. How have different places reacted to this vaccine? In this essay I will compare and contrast the resistance to the covid-19 vaccine in both Tanzania and in the United States.
The presidents of Tanzania and the United States have quite opposing views when concerning the covid-19 vaccine. The president of Tanzania, John Magufuli, urged the Tanzanian people to not get vaccinated. In his speech in February Magufuli said, “Vaccines don’t work. If the white man was able to come up with vaccinations, then the vaccines for AIDS would have been brought”(Nytimes). On the contrary, the president of the United States, Joe Biden, has a completely opposing view. In his speech on September 9, Biden voices his opinion saying, "We have been patient, but our patience is wearing thin. And your refusal has cost all of us”. (TheWeek)
Many Tanzanians and Americans have opposing views when concerning the covid-19 vaccine as well. One of the most prominent reasons for resistance towards the vaccine that many of us have been hearing about recently, is the opposition of Christians, who have faith that God will protect them from the virus. A Tanzanian news article reports on this, saying “ The argument was that people should stop living in fear and that they should trust in God and rely on traditional African remedies to prevent getting the virus” (downtoearth.org). This same idea is discussed in a United States news article, which writes, “Those who identify as Christian nationalists believe they are God’s chosen people and will be protected from any illness or disease” (theconversation.com).
The Tanzanian and American people have opposing views when concerning Christian resistance of the covid-19 vaccine. The president of Tanzania supports these viewpoints, as their president, John Magufuli, says in his speech “You inhale while you pray to God, you pray while farming maize, potatoes, so that you can eat well and corona fails to enter your body. They will scare you a lot, my fellow Tanzanians, but you should stand firm.”(reuters.com). On the other hand, the majority of Americans seem to be quite outraged at the Christian’s resistance to the vaccine. Many of the people whom are outraged at the Christian’s vaccine resistance are Christians themselves, as one Christian scientist writes, “I have heard some Christians say that the pandemic is God’s will, and that God will decide whether we live or die, so they will leave their fate in God’s hands. I, too, submit my life to God and understand that my every breath is granted by Him. But I would never have become a doctor if I thought that helping people prevent and recover from illness was contrary to the will of God.” (UsaToday).
In conclusion, the resistance of the covid-19 vaccine is a prominent social issue around the world today. In this essay, I compared and contrasted the resistance to the covid-19 vaccine in both Tanzania and in the United States. One of the more prominent reasons for resistance against the vaccine in both Tanzania and the United States, is that there is no need for the vaccine because God will protect them. The president of Tanzania, John Magufuli, as well as the majority of people of Tanzania, agree with this view. However, the president of the United States, Joe Biden, as well as the majority of Americans disagree with this reasoning. Their view on Christian resistance to the vaccine ties back to our course discussion on the importance of religion in Africa. In our reading and discussions on religion in Africa in this course, it is obvious that religion plays a significant role in the lives of African people. While religion surely plays a significant role in Americans lives as well, it seems to dictate people’s decisions more in Africa and seems to be more prominent in Africa as a whole. (Word Count: 659)
Sources:
Dr. Angrew Wong, “Stop using religion to fight COVID-19 vaccine. Taking it is taking it is the Christian thing to do”, UsaToday, July 28, 2021, https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2021/07/28/take-covid-19-vaccine-its-christian-thing-do/5389873001/
Abdi Latif Dahir, “Tanzania’s president says ‘vaccines don’t work,’ earning a rebuff from the W.H.O.”, Nytimes, January 28,2021
Reuters Staff, “Decrying vaccines, Tanzania leader says 'God will protect' from COVID-19”, Reuters.com, January 27,2021
Brigid Kennedy, “Biden warns unvaccinated that America's patience is 'wearing thin'”, Theweek.com, September 9,2021
Catherine Kyobutungi, “What Tanzania’s COVID-19 vaccine reluctance means for its citizens and the world”, Downtoearth.org, February 16,2021
Monique Deal Barlow, “Christian nationalism is a barrier to mass vaccination against COVID-19”, theconversayion.com, April 1, 2021
Comments