OU/RCA Rabbanim support for the covid vaccine

GetReal

Fri, Dec 18 2020, 10:11 am

https://together.ou.org/page/guidance

The following is shared based on the guidance of our poskim, Harav Hershel Schachter שליט”א and Harav Mordechai Willig שליט”א, with the support of Harav Dovid Cohen שליט”א.

We are grateful for the progress that has been made in vaccine development for COVID-19. הודו לד’ כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו.

Halacha obligates us to care for our own health and to protect others from harm and illness. In addition, Halacha directs us to defer to the consensus of medical experts in determining and prescribing appropriate medical responses to both treating and preventing illness.

There has long been an almost uniform consensus among leading medical experts that vaccines are an effective and responsible manner of protecting life and advancing health. For over two hundred years vaccinations have been responsible for the dramatic reduction of many terrible diseases and have significantly improved public health in our country and around the world. For this reason, the consensus of our major poskim (halachic decisors) is to encourage us to use vaccinations to protect ourselves and others from disease.

While this guidance of our poskim has addressed vaccine usage generally, the introduction of the novel COVID-19 vaccines required specific reconsideration. The poskim recognize that the COVID-19 vaccines have been developed with unprecedented speed and are expected to be made available under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). In addition, the two currently leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates are mRNA vaccines which employ a new vaccine technology.

Notwithstanding these factors, the conclusion of our poskim is that, pursuant to the advice of your personal health care provider, the Torah obligation to preserve our lives and the lives of others requires us to vaccinate for COVID-19 as soon as a vaccine becomes available.

Our medical and scientific advisors have clarified that efforts to speed vaccine development to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have not sacrificed scientific standards, the integrity of the vaccine review process, or safety. Rather than cutting corners, the acceleration has been achieved by marshalling unprecedented financial resources, creating multiple partnerships, and removing virtually all non-scientific bureaucratic hurdles. These efforts have not, however, involved a reduction in the appropriate safety standards or a decrease in the standard, multiple levels of scientific review.

These efforts appear to have been successful beyond all expectations and have produced more than one vaccine with an unusually high rate of effectiveness with no indications of any significant risk. While no medical intervention can be considered risk-free, expert opinion is clear that the enormous benefits presented by these vaccines far outweigh their risks.

In consideration of the guidance of our poskim, we strongly encourage all those eligible to access the COVID-19 vaccination to do so. We hope and pray that such steps will help bring to an end the tragic toll that the pandemic has taken on our community and beyond.

Per the guidance of our medical and scientific advisors, for those who have had the virus and an already demonstrated sustained antibody response the vaccine remains safe and potentially helpful but appears to be less necessary.

We note that the availability and use of the COVID-19 vaccine will not immediately allow us to reduce adherence to current mitigation strategies, including social distancing, masking, and diligent hand hygiene. These practices must continue to be followed until official public health recommendations advise otherwise. As long as these practices remain in place it remains unnecessary to consider institutional policies or additional restrictions regarding the non-vaccinated.

This guidance is intended as general guidelines and should not be construed by any individual as, or be substituted for, medical or other professional advice. Personal decisions regarding the vaccine should be discussed with your healthcare provider. Moreover, this guidance is formulated based solely on currently available information. Events and information continue to evolve and may impact the applicability of this guidance.

We hope and pray that we will soon be blessed by Hashem to be able to come together comfortably and safely.

southernbubby

Fri, Dec 18 2020, 10:14 am

I hope that it gets taken more seriously than other mitigation procedures were. Believe it or not, frum people are still going to the hospital for this.

PinkFridge

Fri, Dec 18 2020, 10:37 am

https://www.yutorah.org/vaccine/

Zoom discussion Sunday evening with Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, Rabbi Willig, R. Dr. Aaron Glatt.

avrahamama

Fri, Dec 18 2020, 11:01 am

I liked what rabbi tatz had to say. If you're high risk take it. If you're low risk wait and see. Generally we are obligated to vaccinate but as this particular vaccine is new it's ok to be cautious.

amother

Brown

Fri, Dec 18 2020, 11:02 am

Ugh. They need to stay out of this.

PinkFridge

Fri, Dec 18 2020, 11:40 am

amother [ Brown ] wrote:

Ugh. They need to stay out of this.

Can you elaborate?

amother

Cobalt

Fri, Dec 18 2020, 11:56 am

amother [ Brown ] wrote:

Ugh. They need to stay out of this.

The opposite!! Kol hakavod for showing leadership!!

amother

Bronze

Fri, Dec 18 2020, 12:32 pm

avrahamama wrote:

I liked what rabbi tatz had to say. If you're high risk take it. If you're low risk wait and see. Generally we are obligated to vaccinate but as this particular vaccine is new it's ok to be cautious.

Where did he say this? Is there somewhere I can see a video/transcript/writeup of his comments?

tichellady

Fri, Dec 18 2020, 12:47 pm

amother [ Brown ] wrote:

Ugh. They need to stay out of this.

Since when should rabbis stay out of life and death issues?

rae

Fri, Dec 18 2020, 4:03 pm

I do appreciate the link to Rabbi Tatz. That is my das Torah.

trixx

Fri, Dec 18 2020, 4:20 pm

Absolutely not their place to dispense or advise on medical matters. Stick to kashrus.

shabbatiscoming

Sat, Dec 19 2020, 3:36 pm

Im very confused. When shuls were closed, then open, then closed etc, etc, etc, people were floored when women were asking what place the rabbis had in saying if they should be open or closed, when it was a medical issue.
And now when it is a medical issue and in some communities people will only go forward if they know the rabbanim have approved this, people are getting upset about this?

How can there even be question as to why mashiach is not here yet? So much arguing among people. And they dont even realize they are arguing for and against the same things.

amother

Jetblack

Sat, Dec 19 2020, 6:25 pm

They are urging us to be lab rats for an illness that has a survival rate of greater than 99.9 percent and has successful treatments. They know nothing of the king or short term effects of this vaccine. It is not possible since it is not around for long enough.

amother

Jade

Sat, Dec 19 2020, 6:41 pm

amother [ Jetblack ] wrote:

Exactly!! Who are they?? They should deal with there stuff not add stuff. If anyone asks them they can say take it. My kids and me are not puppets.

amother

Cyan

Sat, Dec 19 2020, 7:24 pm

Ill go to a doctor I trust for medical advice, thank you very much.

amother

Jade

Sat, Dec 19 2020, 7:27 pm

amother [ Cyan ] wrote:

Ill go to a doctor I trust for medical advice, thank you very much.

But right now I’m feeling our doctors are skewed.

amother

Ruby

Sat, Dec 19 2020, 8:29 pm

Its not their place. They are NOT medical professionals. All the doctors and nurses I have asked said NOT to take it yet. It is to new and not tested and there are many side affects being seen. The only ones I would even think should get it are the old ppl who haven't left their house out of fear. This will enable thrm to leave.

amother

Cobalt

Sat, Dec 19 2020, 9:00 pm

amother [ Ruby ] wrote:

Not a single doctor and I know (top 5 hospitals in the country) have said so. I know at least 50 healthcare professionals who have taken it so far

amother

Cobalt

Sat, Dec 19 2020, 9:01 pm

trixx wrote:

Absolutely not their place to dispense or advise on medical matters. Stick to kashrus.

Or end of life issues when more yidden die of Covid

egam

Sat, Dec 19 2020, 9:12 pm

amother [ Jetblack ] wrote:

In what alternative universe do you live?

Last edited by egam on Sun, Dec 20 2020, 12:01 am; edited 1 time in total