The Most Rev Justin Welby said that, while he is not in favour of compulsory jabs, he believes in an approach of encouraging and incentivising as opposed to condemning those who have not yet had the vaccine.
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The Archbishop of Canterbury has urged people to get vaccinated “to look after their neighbours”.
The Most Rev Justin Welby said that, while he is not in favour of compulsory jabs, he believes in an approach of encouraging and incentivising as opposed to condemning those who have not yet had the vaccine.
Asked what society’s attitude to the unvaccinated should be, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think we need to be encouraging rather than condemnatory, because condemning people doesn’t do much good, apart from anything else, but also it increases the general sense of anger that comes at a time of insecurity and fear and grief.
“I think we need to be encouraging to people to look after their neighbours.”
He quoted Jesus as saying “love your neighbour as yourself”, and added: “So, if you do that, it seems to me you go and get vaccinated.
“I’d encourage people. I’m not personally in favour of compulsory vaccination by law, but I am very much in favour of encouraging people, of incentivising people to get vaccinated. It makes a difference. It’s not decisive, it’s not the whole story, but it’s an important part of the story.”
The archbishop has previously commented on vaccinations, saying it is a "moral issue" during an interview in December.
"A lot of people won't like that, but I think it is because it's not about me and my rights," he said.
"Now obviously there are some people who, for health reasons, can't be vaccinated – different question – but it's not about me and my rights to choose. It's about how I love my neighbour.
"Vaccination reduces my chances – doesn't eliminate – but it reduces my chances of getting ill and reducing my chances of getting ill reduces my chances of infecting others. It's very simple.
"So I would say yes, to love one another – as Jesus said – get vaccinated, get boosted", he said in an interview with ITV last year.
The archbishop also revealed his "disappointment" at a leaked photo of government staff having wine and cheese in the Downing Street garden during lockdown last year.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson insists the image from May 2020 shows "people at work, talking about work".
