Pastor who claimed ‘Jesus is the vaccine’ actually gets real Covid jab

A Texas preacher, who claimed “Jesus is the vaccine” after contracting Covid-19 in October, appears to have had a change of heart and has now received an actual coronavirus jab.

John Hagee appeared to suggest to his congregation in November that their faith would see them through the pandemic.

“I bring under the authority of Jesus Christ every sickness and every disease and especially the Covid thing that’s sweeping this nation,” he said at the time.

“We have a vaccine. The name is Jesus Christ, the son of the living God. Let Him sweep through this country and heal the righteous who dare to ask for it. Heal our church members. Restore them rapidly. Let the name of Jesus Christ be exalted because He is Lord overall.”

However, according to reporting from ABC News, Hagee has since been vaccinated, a move that was described as hypocrisy by local newspaper The San Antonio Current.

A journalist for the paper Sanford Nowlin wrote: “While it's true that prayer and medicine aren’t mutually exclusive, that certainly wasn’t the message Hagee was sharing with his flock last fall. After contracting COVID-19, the 80-year-old pastor seemed to imply that Jesus’ blessing was all it took to beat the pandemic.”

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The journalist also suggested that those sitting listening to the preacher were not adhering to social distancing measures, such as wearing masks and sitting six feet away from each other.

Many public figures have been criticised for apparent hypocrisy during the pandemic.