Catholic school and other private education institutes are making their own rules when it comes to COVID 19 protocols. A recent study indicates that Catholics are the most vaccinated among all religious groups. The Pew research center found that about 82% of over 10,000 adult Catholics reported that they have been vaccinated.
Evangelical white protestants are among the least likely of the religious groups to be vaccinated. What seems to be the disparity between these two groups? In a nutshell, it is education.
The Spread of Misinformation
One of the biggest reasons more people are not vaccinated is because of the spread of misinformation. Many religious groups have encouraged members not to get the vaccine because of a link to stem cells used in research.
Some of the rumors that have been spread are that the cell lines in the research come from aborted fetuses from the 1970s. However, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has released statements that the remote nature of the cell lines makes all three of the US vaccines morally acceptable.
Other religious organizations have yet to follow suit. Instead of encouraging vaccines, they are discouraging their congregation from getting them. Social media have played a pivotal role in disseminating information that is simply not accurate, and unfortunately, many protestant church leaders are spreading the “news” they garner from social media as “facts.”
Protecting The Children
Catholic school protocols are in place in every diocese to help to protect the children that attend schools there. Most every diocese with a Catholic school requires that masks are worn inside the building by both adults and children, regardless of vaccination status.
This multi-level safety approach ensures that children and their families are protected while the children are educated. In classical Catholic school, children are educated to think logically, analyze data, and very importantly, to use the skills that they develop to make sound, moral decisions for the greater good.
Historically, Catholic schools have been leaders in education around the world. Today that still holds true. Children educated in this setting go on to make good life decisions, including getting vaccinated against a deadly virus and protecting their family and friends from getting sick.