The National Executive Committee of the United Pentecostal International Church-Ghana (UPCI), has endorsed the ongoing mass vaccination of Ghanaians against COVID-19 coronavirus disease.
The approval comes barely two weeks after the Government of Ghana officially commenced COVID-19 vaccination exercise in some 43 epicenter-districts in the Greater Accra, Ashanti and Central Regions.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, March 4, 2021, the Executive Committee of the church urged members to continue adhering to the COVID-19 safety protocols to help government overcome the pandemic.
The Committee also cited approval of the vaccination exercise by the Food and Drug Authority (FDA), Ministry of Health (MoH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), stating that they have no reason to doubt their credibility on the matter.
Below is the full statement:
THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD COMMUNIQUE ON THE COVID-19 VACCINE, CONTROVERSIES AND MYTHS
The United Pentecostal Church International-Ghana believes in divine health, clinical care, medicines and diagnostics as well as standard public health practices including vaccinations. Vaccination as a public health intervention predates the eighteenth century; vaccines have therefore been used successfully against diseases like measles, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, tuberculosis etc. To this end, Organization supports any responsible health practices or programs that are aimed to protect the health and safety of individuals.
We wish to inform members that, upon consultations with medical/health officers, scientists and other experts in addition to the reviewing of scientific literature, and data from populations who have taken some of the vaccines, we have no cause to discourage against the Covid-19 vaccination. The reasons that accounted for the position of the Organization included the following:
1. The Covid-19 vaccines – have been approved by the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), the Food and Drugs Authority (F.D.A.) and the Ministry of Health.
2. Governments and regulatory bodies in the world all over have responsibilities to ensure the safety of its citizenry; duly approving of only vaccines that meet health and safety standards.
3. There are no reasons to doubt the scientists and medical personnel involved in the manufacturing of the vaccines because some may be good Christians and agents being used by God to solve a medical problem afflicting His people.
However, it is important to note that the Church as an Organization is not oblivious of peoples’ individual choices. The position of the Organization as a corporate body therefore, does not take away the individual member’s choice to either vaccinate or not based on his/her conscience.
The Church however, wishes to urge its members to continue to pray to God for revelations, and to perfect the interventions being developed to fight the pandemic.
Also, we continue to encourage all members to ensure adherence to all the Covid-19 protocols as we pull resources together to fight off such a global pandemic.
