I know there are lots of concerns about the forthcoming COVID vaccines – whether their development has been rushed, whether they will really be safe, etc. I’m worried that these concerns will translate into reluctance be vaccinated, which I’m convinced would be bad for everyone. Well, NIH Director Francis Collins had a great interview this week with Russell Moore on exactly this topic. Moore is a relatively important figure in contemporary Christian thought, and Collins is both an amazing scientist and a professing Christian. I highly recommend watching the interview; it’s very worthwhile.

For those who don’t know, Collins directed the Human Genome Project before going on to become the head of the NIH, where he is Tony Fauci’s boss, essentially. Fauci heads NIAID, the arm of the NIH which focuses on allergies and infectious diseases, and Collins is the overall head. He was appointed to his position by Obama, and then reappointed by Trump, so he’s a cross-party figure in that sense.

Collins is a committed Christian who came to Christ relatively later in life, and he covers his story in his book Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief. I don’t entirely agree with Collins’ theology, but he is outspoken about his faith and about the truth of Christianity. Together with his science expertise, that makes him a source who can likely appeal across political and religious boundaries.

The 30 minute interview is worth watching in full, and covers a pretty wide range of topics with Collins doing the vast majority of the talking. Topics include:

  • How does the vaccine work?
  • Can it really be safe given that development was so fast?
  • How long will it take to get back to normal if most people get vaccinated? What if they don’t?
  • What about just waiting for herd immunity?
  • Are the vaccines based on fetal tissue, and should Christians have concerns from a pro-life perspective?
  • Masks: They’re to protect others, (mostly) not to protect you
  • When can we expect things to be more back to normal and have church activities like VBS, etc.?

Collins communicates well, and I think the length of the interview speaks to how important he sees these issues. Please watch it!