When Pastor Chris Oyakhilome said, “There is no good vaccine; there never was, and there never will be. They convinced the world it was something nice,” it immediately sparked reactions just like every other controversial teaching of his.
This time, it is expected that surprising reactions shouldn’t happen because vaccine debates aren’t new. But somehow, they do. This isn’t because Pastor Chris Oyakhilome said so, but it is the certainty with which he said it. Not “some vaccines are problematic”, not “we should ask more questions”, but none have ever been good. Ever.
This Isn’t His First Time Questioning Vaccines
Pastor Chris, founder of Christ Embassy, has expressed scepticism about vaccines for years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he questioned the safety and intent behind vaccination campaigns. He claimed vaccines could alter DNA.
He also promoted narratives linking vaccines to broader global control agendas. In 2021, the UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom sanctioned his Loveworld television network for airing misleading COVID-19 content that was considered potentially harmful to public health.
More recently, he claimed Pope Francis’ death was connected to COVID vaccination, despite no verified medical evidence supporting that assertion. When scientific claims are made repeatedly without supporting evidence, it becomes reasonable to question future claims from the same source.
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Have Vaccines Ever Been “Good”?
If vaccines had never been good, history would tell a very different story. Smallpox once killed millions across continents. It was eradicated globally in 1980 through a coordinated vaccination effort.
Polio used to paralyse hundreds of thousands of children every year. Today, it has been eliminated in most parts of the world because of vaccines.
Measles deaths dropped significantly in countries with high vaccination rates before hesitancy began reversing some of that progress.
A major study published by The Lancet reveals that global immunisation efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives, or the equivalent of 6 lives every minute of every year over the past 50 years. The vast majority of lives saved, 101 million, were those of infants.
According to the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “Vaccines are among the most powerful inventions in history, making once-feared diseases preventable.” “Thanks to vaccines, smallpox has been eradicated, polio is on the brink, and with the more recent development of vaccines against diseases like malaria and cervical cancer, we are pushing back the frontiers of disease. With continued research, investment and collaboration, we can save millions more lives today and in the next 50 years,” he added.
These outcomes are not based on ideology. They are documented public health data collected over decades. So when someone says no vaccine has ever been good, the logical question becomes: what evidence supports that?
Understanding Vaccines: The Pros and the Cons
After looking at the historical evidence, it’s clear that vaccines have had measurable impacts on public health. Like any medical intervention, vaccines are not flawless. But the good thing is that they are studied extensively. Understanding how they work and the benefits and risks they carry helps separate fact from fear.
The Benefits of Vaccines
- Vaccines train the immune system to recognise and fight infections before they become severe.
- They reduce hospitalisations and deaths.
- They contribute to herd immunity, protecting people who cannot be vaccinated due to medical conditions.
- They undergo years of testing before approval and continue to be monitored after rollout, making them safe to get.
The Risks
- Vaccines can cause side effects. Most are mild, like soreness, fever, and fatigue.
- Rare complications do occur, and when they do, they are investigated.
- No vaccine is 100% effective.
Breakthrough infections can happen. But in medicine, the key evaluation is not whether something is perfect. It is whether the benefits outweigh the risks. For the most widely used vaccines, decades of research say they do.
Pastor Chris is a spiritual leader. His authority is rooted in theology and religious teaching. Scientific claims, however, require scientific evidence.
Many people of faith accept vaccines without feeling their belief in God is compromised. They see medicine as a tool, not a replacement for divine protection. So framing vaccines as inherently deceptive to a multitude of people who listen and believe everything you say shifts the conversation from science to ideology.
Conclusion
Pastor Chris has the right to express his beliefs. But when those beliefs include universal statements about health, they should be evaluated logically and not heeded.
History shows that vaccines have prevented disease, reduced mortality, and, in some cases, eradicated deadly illnesses.
Churches should be places for spiritual guidance, worship, and moral teaching. We should be able to receive religious instruction without having to sort through unverified medical advice. Considering the influence church leaders have on their followers, those who are non-scientists should avoid spreading information about vaccines or other health topics they are not qualified to discuss. Doing otherwise risks confusion, fear, and decisions that can put people’s lives at stake.
Faith and science don’t have to conflict.
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