Jehovah鈥檚 Witness,听a Christian denomination that听, views vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a personal decision.听
鈥淢any of Jehovah鈥檚 Witnesses choose to get vaccinated,鈥 said Gideon L. Aves, director of Hospital Information Services for Jehovah鈥檚 Witnesses in the Philippines.听
Since the pandemic broke out, he added, the denomination has published reminders in hundreds of languages that encourage adherence to safety protocols.听听
Jehovah鈥檚 Witnesses choose to receive medical care that is compatible with听.听听听
The denomination鈥檚 Hospital Liaison Committees (HLCs) have been working with healthcare professionals and hospitals to offer assistance to Jehovah鈥檚 Witness patients, their families, and the physicians who care for them.听听听
The Christian ministers are chosen based on their capacity to render pastoral care for fellow Witnesses even during times of emergency, said Mr. Aves, director of Hospital Information Services for Jehovah鈥檚 Witnesses in the Philippines, in an e-mail to听大象传媒.听听
The ministers are trained on the basic functions of the blood, as well as knowledge on the different clinical strategies to avoid blood transfusions in cases that include surgery, critical care medicine, and gastroenterology.听听
There are 1,700 HLCs in 100 worldwide. In the Philippines, there are 22 HLCs that collaborate with physicians and hospitals, including Asian Hospital and Medical Center, Makati Medical Center, National Children鈥檚 Hospital, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center Cebu, Eastern Visayas Medical Center in Tacloban, and Cagayan Valley Medical Center in Tuguegarao.听听
For diseases like anemia and surgeries like caesarian sections that typically require blood transfusion, Jehovah鈥檚 Witness focus on controlling blood loss through improving hematopoiesis (or the patient鈥檚 own production of blood cells), reducing the quantity and frequency of phlebotomy (or the drawing of blood for analysis), and minimally invasive surgical techniques (if noninvasive approaches are unavailable).听
The advantages of bloodless medical procedures are the zero likelihood of being affected by blood-borne pathogens, as well as unknown blood transfusion reactions.听听
Techniques used by听听include pre-surgery medications that increase the number of red blood cells; the dilution of blood which lessens the impact of blood loss during surgery; advanced听hemostatics听(products that stop bleeding) that can be used before, during, and after surgery; and electrocautery that quickly seals off bleeding blood vessels.听听
Patients have the right to make decisions about their medical treatments, per听, and the care of patients requires meeting their individual needs, culture, and beliefs.听听
According to听, preservation of life overrides guidelines: In a life-threatening situation, there are no restrictions on medications and surgical interventions.听听听
There are 232,587 Jehovah鈥檚 Witnesses in the Philippines.听鈥斕Patricia B. Mirasol听
