Emphasizing the importance of vaccination efforts to reduce the spread and virulence of Covid-19, the pope repeated his earlier call on individuals to get the vaccine, not only for their own benefit but also out of “respect for the health of those around us,” adding, “healthcare is a moral obligation.”

The pope lamented politicization of the debate over vaccines, saying that “frequently people let themselves be influenced by the ideology of the moment, often bolstered by baseless information or poorly documented facts.”

He said, “Vaccines are not a magical means of healing, yet surely they represent, in addition to other treatments that need to be developed, the most reasonable solution for the prevention of the disease.”

He also spoke about the effects of pandemic-related school closures on children, warning that many had taken “refuge in virtual realities that create strong psychological and emotional links but isolate them from others and the world around them.”