a (Christian) family member in the USA sent me information on this recently. I googled for it, because i found it hard to believe, (pun intended) and found this article:

Talk to God, Get a Shot

The idea of holding out your arm and getting a shot in the middle of a worship service, with your pastoral leader urging you on, really seems to be pushing it. The reason they’re doing this, health officials said on the phone, is that they’ve found that non-traditional settings such as worship services can be highly effective in influencing people’s decisions.

Speaking directly to church leaders, Joshua DuBois, executive director of the White House Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnership, said:

“As trusted messengers, you’re able to spread messages and help get people vaccinated.”

Zeroing in on minorities, particularly older adults, blacks and Latinos, health officials said churches, mosques and schools are places where barriers to vaccinations can be taken down, and these minorities can be convinced to get vaccinated. Besides hosting flu shot clinics, churches can also help by putting reminders in their bulletins, and by church members personally reminding others to get their shots, officials said.

They even went so far as to encourage the churches to pay people’s insurance co-pays so they’d be more inclined to get the shots. For those who simply can’t pay anything, there’ll be 300,000 free shots given out as part of the flu vaccine crusade.

source: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/artic ... _DNL_art_1

I watched the video imbedded in that article and am surprised that this kind of information is not available to health care workers.

I wonder how many of these churches push an evolution-is-false message while encouraging their attendees to get flu shots.

What part did you find hard to believe, ConnieRaSk? The idea of giving flu shots in church? Or the antivax woo and quackery that comprises the rest of that webpage?

FWIW, I think recruiting religious institutions to help increase vaccination rates is a great idea, Weaver's point notwithstanding.

What i found hard to believe is that the churches would give up preaching time to do that, that's all.
Anti-vax woo? naaa. I'd say rather not enough balanced information on the effectiveness and possible side effects of certain vaccinations (esp the push for vaccination against cervical cancer despite the thousands of cases of girls having serious side effects) are available to the general public, and if you have time to watch the video, obviously also none of that info is available to health care workers.
But that is, of course, a different topic, for a different thread.

I do not agree with you that churches should push for vaccinations.
If they do, then they should also let folks know that there are possible side effects... and they are not doing that, AFAIK.

For once, they're doing something right.

Many urban poor who regularly attend church cannot afford regular medical care, and are not aware of many avenues for free or reduced price care.

I am totally unconcerned with the church not giving out information about supposed health risks - that's not their place, it's the responsibility of the health care professionals giving the immunizations.

The anti-vax crap pervading that site is disgusting, as are the claims of massive numbers of serious side-effects from Gardasil or flu shots.

ConnyRaSk wrote:What i found hard to believe is that the churches would give up preaching time to do that, that's all.
Anti-vax woo? naaa. I'd say rather not enough balanced information on the effectiveness and possible side effects of certain vaccinations (esp the push for vaccination against cervical cancer despite the thousands of cases of girls having serious side effects)

More serious than cancer?

are available to the general public, and if you have time to watch the video, obviously also none of that info is available to health care workers.

What specific information are you saying is not available? The little bit I watched describes a woman who developed Guillain-Barre syndrome after a vaccination. Any health care worker not aware of that risk would have to be pretty incompetent.

I'm willing to bet watching that video would be about as productive a use of my time as watching a video on evolution by Ray Comfort. Sorry, life's too short. But not as short as it used to be before vaccinations.

But that is, of course, a different topic, for a different thread.

I do not agree with you that churches should push for vaccinations.

If they do, then they should also let folks know that there are possible side effects... and they are not doing that, AFAIK.

I have no idea about that specific instance. But I know when public health officials hold vaccination drives in public spacies (city hall, libraries, shopping malls, etc.) information sheets are provided and the person receiving the vaccine (or their parent) signs a consent form. I'd be surprised if the same was not being done at the churches. I doubt people are not aware that there are possible side effects of a vaccine.

ConnyRaSk wrote:What i found hard to believe is that the churches would give up preaching time to do that, that's all.
Anti-vax woo? naaa. I'd say rather not enough balanced information on the effectiveness and possible side effects of certain vaccinations (esp the push for vaccination against cervical cancer despite the thousands of cases of girls having serious side effects) are available to the general public, and if you have time to watch the video, obviously also none of that info is available to health care workers.
But that is, of course, a different topic, for a different thread.

I do not agree with you that churches should push for vaccinations.
If they do, then they should also let folks know that there are possible side effects... and they are not doing that, AFAIK.

I don't think you can possibly know what they are and are not doing based on the information provided.

Further, does it really surprise you that doctors and nurses try not to make a big deal out of side effects when you have anti vaccine foolishness running rampant? Side effects- even serious ones- are not as bad as getting cancer. Why scare people into getting cancer? The pamphlets are there and any nurse or doctor will tell you exactly what the science says if asked. Obviously people who are at risk should not take a vaccine but that just makes it even more important for the rest of us to get it and build up a herd immunity to protect those who can't get it themselves.

From the person who told me about it: there was no info before or after the vaccination appeal. So, if that was done in a church in a university town, where you'd think they would want to cover their backs, imagine how little info would be provided in low-income residential areas.

So no matter how you ( general you) feel about vaccinations, it is essential that information is provided. That should be the same as the script that goes along any other medicine one gets...or is that still not a requirement in the USA?

In most countries in Europe one gets a script about any medication prescribed - but also for over the counter meds-
There it tells you how often and what side effects can occur...and even then, quite a bit is under-represented. I know, i used to do corrections for pharma companies and had contact with reps, who when they quit, told me how it really was.

I am VERY thankful to science, as it has helped my family enormously and also for myself, but i also have, within my inner circle of family and friends, 5 persons who suffered side-effects, two of them disabled since childhood, from vaccinations.

I want all of the information so that either i or my doctor can decide how important it is to get a particular medicine or vaccination.

That is why I began this thread. Do not make any insinuations about my motives unless you know more about me.

ConnyRaSk wrote:From the person who told me about it: there was no info before or after the vaccination appeal. So, if that was done in a church in a university town, where you'd think they would want to cover their backs, imagine how little info would be provided in low-income residential areas.

I'm not sure what you mean by "there was no info." Are you just talking about the general announcement? I wouldn't expect the priest, or whoever else was making the announcement, to provide that info. But what about from the nurse or other health professional at the time the shot was actually given?