The Russian Orthodox Metropolitan of Volokolamsk, His Eminence Hilarion, was quoted by Russian media as advising the faithful to be vaccinated as soon as possible against the COVID-19 virus. He was referring to a Russian-made vaccine, which was registered last month as the first vaccine against COVID-19 worldwide.
Hilarion, who is the Moscow Patriarchate’s head of the department for external Church relations, was quoted as saying “… “If they ask me if I should be vaccinated or wait, I say it’s better to be vaccinated as soon as possible. Because the risk that the vaccine will have some side effects is minimal.”