Vaccination

Compilations

• https://bahai-library.com/compilation_vaccination_us-nsa

Nothing in the teachings about vaccination

"Regarding your question about vaccination: These are technical matters which have not been specifically mentioned in the teachings, and consequently the Guardian cannot make any statement about them. No doubt medical science will progress tremendously as time goes by, and the treatment of disease become more perfect."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, December 24, 1943: Bahá'í News, No. 173, p. 3, February 1945, in Lights of Guidance, no. 992; also in Directives from the Guardian, no. 212, p. 80)

Decision rests with parents in consultation with good physician they rely on. Bahá'ís free to use own judgment as to what kind of physician they consider good

"There is nothing in the Bahá’í Teachings regarding vaccinations but only general indications about health; therefore, the Guardian cannot advise you on this subject.

"One thing is clear ― that Bahá’u’lláh has said we should consult a good physician if we are ill; and as good physicians nowadays prescribe mostly drugs, it would not seem that a Bahá’í could refuse to take them. However, they are free to use their own judgment as to what kind of a physician they consider a good physician, and ultimately decision as to whether to have one’s child vaccinated or not must rest with the parents in consultation with the doctor on whom they rely."

(On behalf of the Guardian, from a letter dated February 15, 1957, On the Question of Vaccination (compilation), sel. 2)

Bahá'ís cannot claim religious exemption for governmental vaccine mandate

"A fundamental Bahá’í principle is loyalty and obedience to government. As Shoghi Effendi explained in a letter dated 21 December 1948 written on his behalf to an individual believer, "We must obey in all cases except where a spiritual principle is involved, such as denying our Faith." If a Bahá’í is faced with a governmental mandate of vaccination, the Bahá’í writings would not provide him or her justification for refusing to comply with such a legal requirement; therefore, a religious exemption could not be claimed. Of course, if the law itself provided another applicable exemption, a believer would be free to decide, including for family members for whom he or she is responsible, whether to invoke such an exemption."

(On behalf of the Universal House of Justice, 10 July 2020)

See also

• Obedience to government

Bahá'ís should follow counsel of medical experts

"Nothing has been found in the Bahá’í Writings on the subject of vaccination. Nevertheless, in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh stated: “Resort ye, in times of sickness, to competent physicians; We have not set aside the use of material means, rather have We confirmed it through this Pen, which God hath made to be the Dawning-place of His shining and glorious Cause.” Moreover, in reply to scientific issues raised on a number of occasions, Shoghi Effendi consistently advised Bahá’ís that such matters would need to be investigated by scientists. In recent decades, advances in medical science have led to the production of effective vaccines, the use of which has freed humanity from many debilitating and deadly infectious diseases. Reports indicate that the coronavirus vaccines currently being developed offer great promise for protecting individuals from, and helping to reduce transmission of, the virus. As to the advisability and efficacy of the various options that may become available, the friends should follow the counsel of medical and other scientific experts." Letter dated 8 Dec. 2020 to an individual

(On behalf of the Universal House of Justice, 8 December 2020)

In relation to coronavirus pandemic, Bahá'ís should consider their social responsibilities and the common good

"In light of the foregoing, when faced with issues of a scientific or medical nature, Bahá’ís should seek out and rely on the best expert advice available. For example, in connection with medical matters, believers should bear in mind Bahá’u’lláh’s statement in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas: “Resort ye, in times of sickness, to competent physicians; We have not set aside the use of material means, rather have We confirmed it through this Pen, which God hath made to be the Dawning-place of His shining and glorious Cause.” In relation to the coronavirus pandemic, the friends should follow the counsel of medical and other scientific experts on the advisability and efficacy of the various vaccination options that are becoming available and the wisdom of particular public health measures. They should not be concerned merely with their own personal choices and well-being, but in reaching their decisions, they should also consider their social responsibilities and the common good."

(On behalf of the Universal House of Justice, 11 February 2021, Science, Truth and Expert Advice, at https://iefworld.org/node/1139 )