Abstract
Religious vaccine exemptions are widely available in America and increased in the past decade for unclear reasons. Religious leaders strive to influence their congregants’ attitudes and practices. We sought to describe Denver religious leaders’ vaccine attitudes, practices, and congregational experiences using a cross-sectional online survey. The response rate was 33% (109/334). Most respondents were Protestant, White, male, parents; 42% believed the Bible contained themes supportive of vaccination, 25% were vaccine hesitant, and only 10% had addressed vaccines in their congregations. Vaccine-hesitant religious leaders’ attitudes and practices differed from those of non-hesitant leaders. Study implications and future research avenues are discussed.
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This study was funded by an American Academy of Pediatrics Resident Research Grant, 2016–2017.
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Williams, J.T.B., O’Leary, S.T. Denver Religious Leaders’ Vaccine Attitudes, Practices, and Congregational Experiences. J Relig Health 58, 1356–1367 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00800-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00800-2