The vaccination drive is lagging far behind in many Amish communities across the United States, following a wave of virus outbreaks that swept through them during the past year. In Ohio’s Holmes County, home to the nation’s largest concentration of Amish, just 14 percent of the county’s overall population is fully vaccinated.
While their religious beliefs don’t forbid them to get vaccines, the Amish are generally less likely to be vaccinated for preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough. Though vaccine acceptance varies by church district, the Amish often rely on family tradition and advice from church leaders, and a core part of their Christian faith is accepting God’s will in times of illness or death.
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Many Amish in America Unsure About Vaccination
July 04, 2021
FILE - People in Amish country prepare a horse team to work on a farm in Pulaski, Pa., Wednesday, June 23, 2021. The vaccination drive is lagging far behind in many Amish communities. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
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Almost 180 million Americans about 54 percent of the population have received at least one
dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Experts say low vaccination rates could permit the virus to become stronger and spread easily again.
Trust and use of the vaccine is less common in rural areas of the United States, especially among Amish people. They are deeply religious Christians who reject much of modern life. One large community of Amish lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
President Joe Biden urged more Americans to take advantage of COVID-19 vaccinations as the rate of inoculations slows despite a nationwide effort to get shots in arms to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
When health care leaders in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country began laying out a strategy to distribute COVID-19 vaccines, they knew it would be a tough sell with the Amish, who tend to be wary of preventive shots and government intervention.
Early on, they posted flyers at farm supply stores and at auctions where the Amish sell handmade furniture and quilts. They sought advice from members of the deeply religious and conservative sect, who told them not to be pushy. And they asked three newspapers widely read by the Amish to publish ads promoting the vaccine. Two refused.
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