We have lately been made aware that several members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Singapore have discouraged members of the general public from availing themselves of the COVID-19 vaccination program currently being rolled out in Singapore; in the context of distributing flyers in a public space, ostensibly on behalf of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Singapore.

The Seventh-day Adventist Conference (Singapore) wishes to clarify that:

(i)  The members who had done so were acting in their own capacity and without the sanction of the Seventh-day Adventist Conference (Singapore), or their own local church leadership;

(ii) The world Seventh-day Adventist Church, of which the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Singapore is a part, believes in and advocates for the responsible practice of evidence-based medicine. In fact, the Seventh-day Adventist Church runs numerous hospitals and healthcare centres worldwide, all of which provide holistic health care rooted in sound scientific principles and evidence-based medicine. Immunisation drives such as the COVID-19 vaccination program presently being rolled out in Singapore, are a fundamental component of public health, particularly in the face of highly contagious and potentially devastating infectious diseases such as COVID-19. The commitment of the Singapore Government to ensuring the well-being of its people by means of making COVID-19 immunisation available to all, is laudable;

(iii) While the choice to take up the COVID-19 vaccine has been left to the discretion of the individual, the Seventh-day Adventist Conference (Singapore) wishes to remind our Church members that this discretion does not connote a right or freedom to spread disinformation/ misinformation of any nature; and

(iv) Public vaccination against COVID-19 is entirely in keeping with the spirit of the health message, and our historic commitment to best practices in healthcare and public health. This being the case, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Singapore strongly encourages its members to avail themselves of the vaccine when they are able to do so.

Finally, our hearts are with all who have been adversely affected in one way or another by the pandemic. We pray, and urge all believers to join us in praying, for a speedy resolution to the pandemic and for God’s continued guidance, mercy and protection.