Iraqi Shiite Cleric's Public COVID Vaccination Prompting Others to Follow Suit
On 5/5/21 at 11:15 AM EDT
An Iraqi Shiite cleric's public COVID-19 vaccination has caused hundreds of his followers to head to clinics to get vaccinated, as fear and rumors have stunted Iraq's vaccine rollout among a second wave of infections, the Associated Press reported.
Public images of populist Shiite Muqtada al-Sadr getting vaccinated last week circulating online has prompted many to put aside their distrust of the Iraqi government, which called for its citizens to get vaccinated.
"I was against the idea of being vaccinated. I was afraid, I didn't believe in it," Manhil Alshabli, 30, told the AP. "But all this has changed now."