Editing:21.03.02 vaccines 8 post-webinar

March 2, 2021 (New York, NY) -- This weekend, the Sikh Coalition convened sangat members from across the country for a COVID-19 Gurdwara Safety Webinar, featuring Sikh healthcare professionals and gurdwara leaders. If you were unable to join the webinar, you can watch the full video below and share it with others in your sangat.

Here are some important takeaways from our panelists:

The next few months are critical in making sure that we continue to make progress, so we must continue to take the necessary safety precautions of wearing masks, washing our hands, and practicing social distancing.
Taking a vaccine will not always prevent COVID-19, but does substantially reduce severe disease and chances of hospitalization.
The benefits of taking a COVID-19 vaccine--no matter which one--substantially outweigh the risks. If offered, sangat members should seriously consider taking the vaccine after discussing their own specific health needs with their provider.
Parents should continue regular doctor visits and routine vaccinations for their children. In addition, they should closely monitor their child’s mental health needs during this stressful time.
Those responsible for gurdwara programming should continue to keep safety protocols in place and enforce them. Offering langar-to-go, distanced seating arrangements, and online programming are some of the ways sangats can continue to engage safely at the gurdwara. It is also important that gurdwara leadership follows all state, city, and county guidelines as they relate to sangat size and indoor occupancy.

To alleviate confusion and misinformation around COVID-19 vaccinations, the Sikh Coalition, along with medical professionals at the North American Sikh Medical and Dental Association (NASMDA) and the Sikh Family Center, as well as colleagues at the Jakara Movement, are working to create and distribute a wide range of resources to provide important information for the sangat. Most recently, we have updated our COVID-19 Vaccine Fast Facts infographics (English, Punjabi) and COVID-19 Vaccines in the U.S. vs. India infographics (English, Punjabi) to include up-to-date information about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which received Emergency Use Authorization in the United States from the Food and Drug Administration this weekend.

Other vaccine-related resources in English and Punjabi are available at thesikh.co/vaccine. These resources include infographics on COVID-19 vaccine safety and variants, guidelines for various populations, a state-by-state COVID-19 vaccination information guide that is updated weekly, and Vaccine FAQs videos.

As always, the Sikh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.

The Sikh Coalition, in collaboration with the North American Sikh Medical and Dental Association (NASMDA), the Sikh Family Center, and the Jakara Movement, is working to ensure that all Sikh Americans have access to information and resources regarding vaccinations for COVID-19. While we are not a public health organization, we are pursuing this work so that we can all do our part to keep ourselves and our communities safe. Please visit our website for more resources, email community@sikhcoalition.org with any questions about this work, and always consult your doctor with specific inquiries about your personal health.

Keeping Our Sangats Safe as COVID-19 Vaccines Roll Out