Rastafarian Council Urges Anti-vax Artists To Think About Their Careers

A major source of concern for some of the Rastafarian community in Jamaica is the introduction of the Covid-19 vaccine to battle the deadly virus. Many have voiced concerns about how quickly the vaccine was created while others have questioned why the manufacturers will not be held responsible for any adverse reactions.

Several influential Rastafarian entertainers like Buju Banton, Sizzla, Spragga Benz and Tony Rebel have been vocal in their stances against the vaccine.  The reaction is not surprising as some of the Rastafarian community are well known for their distrust of modern medicine.

However, at least one sect of the community, the Rastafari Millennium Council has called on Rastafarian entertainers to not only think about their careers but the elders in their communities who are disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Represented by Sister Maxine Stowe, the council urged entertainers to take caution and consider all the facts before spreading distrust of the vaccine.

Stowe described how they were approaching the pandemic cautiously.

“While the Rastafari community disavows vaccines in support of a healthy, ital lifestyle with the use of food and herbal medicines, we are also aware of the unique nature of this pandemic with its replication in variants and the outstanding opinion of whether it had been caused by man-made or natural sources,” she told the Jamaica Star.

According to the council, the fear-mongering currently surrounding the vaccine is unfair to the older members who may have co-morbidities.

“[The] over 80 per cent death rate on the elderly is of high concern, as the massive suppression against the community over the years has left our elders even more vulnerable. We do not know how many are included in the growing list of statistics, so we are asking for restraint, and deeper analysis,” the council added.

“As a matter of fact, they (entertainers) should also be concerned about how their travel and earnings may be affected as the opening up of economies occur, and the requirements in the early phases may require evidence of [COVID-19 vaccine] protection,” she added.

She continued on to say that the council is keeping its eyes on countries like Cuba and Tanzania who are developing their own vaccines.

“The value of the Rastafari healthy lifestyle is emphasised, as any choice of vaccination still requires an elevation of the immune system for the multiple variants and boosters that are expected. The Government of Jamaica needs to uniquely grant us our intellectual cultural rights so that we can more properly benefit ourselves, the nation and the world,” Stowe added.

As of today, March 17 Jamaica has recorded 31,907 cases of the virus, with 15,371 of those cases recovering and 494 deaths.