By Rev. Dr. Ann Marie Bentsi-Addison
Executive Director, International Health Commission, African Methodist Episcopal Church
Vaccination remains one of the most important tools available to protect the health of children, adults, families, and communities. For generations, vaccines have dramatically reduced the illness, disability, hospitalization, and death associated with diseases that once devastated families. Yet today, conflicting messages about vaccines can leave people uncertain about whom to believe and where to turn for reliable guidance.
As a church committed to the health and wholeness of our communities, we must encourage informed decisions rooted in credible evidence, sound medical science, and conversations with trusted healthcare professionals.
Vaccines work by preparing the body’s immune system to recognize and fight specific infections before those infections cause serious disease. Immunization protects not only the person receiving the vaccine but also helps protect infants, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and others who may be especially vulnerable to severe illness.
For children, vaccination is particularly important because young immune systems may encounter serious infections before they are prepared to fight them. Evidence-based immunization schedules are designed to provide protection during periods when children are most vulnerable. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2026 recommendations continue to support routine childhood vaccination based on extensive scientific evidence and ongoing evaluation of vaccine safety and effectiveness.
Vaccination is equally important throughout adulthood. Immunization does not end with childhood. Adults may need vaccines or boosters based on age, pregnancy, occupation, travel, underlying medical conditions, previous vaccination history, and other individual circumstances. Diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, shingles, tetanus, pertussis, and other vaccine-preventable illnesses can cause significant complications, particularly among older adults and individuals with chronic health conditions. Current immunization guidance emphasizes evaluating vaccination needs throughout the lifespan.
In an age of social media and rapidly circulating information, medical decisions should not be based solely on a viral post, political statement, celebrity opinion, or frightening story shared online. Questions about vaccines are legitimate, and individuals should feel comfortable asking them. However, those questions deserve answers grounded in evidence.
Speak with a pediatrician, physician, nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife, pharmacist, or other qualified healthcare professional who knows your medical history. Ask about benefits, potential side effects, contraindications, and which vaccines are appropriate for you or your child. Evidence-based medicine also means recognizing that recommendations may differ depending on a person’s age, health status, allergies, previous reactions, or other clinical circumstances.
For people of faith, trusting science does not require abandoning faith. We can pray for wisdom while also receiving the knowledge God has allowed humanity to develop. Scripture reminds us, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14, ESV).
Our churches have an important role in promoting health literacy, correcting misinformation, encouraging preventive care, and connecting families with trusted healthcare professionals. Vaccination decisions should be thoughtful, informed, evidence-based, and made in partnership with qualified clinicians.
Protecting health is more than an individual decision. It is also an expression of our responsibility to care for one another. When we protect ourselves, our children, our elders, and the most vulnerable among us, we put into practice Christ’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
