UPCI urges members to go for COVID-19 vaccination

The National Executive Board of the United Pentecostal Church International Ghana (UPCI) has urged its members to avail themselves for the COVID-19 vaccination.

According to the leadership of the church, inasmuch as the church believes in divine healing, it also believes in "clinical care, medicine and diagnostics as well as standard public health including vaccination."

In a communique dated March 4, 2021, and signed by the National Superintendent of the church, Rev. D.Y.N. Arko, the church said "We wish to inform members that upon consultation with medical health officers, scientists and other experts in addition to the reviewing of scientific literatures, and data from populations who have taken some of the vaccines, we have no cause to discourage against COVID-19 vaccination."

Vaccines in Ghana

Ghana commenced its COVID-19 vaccination on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, as part of measures to stop the further spread of the viral disease.

This follows the arrival of the first consignment of 600,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, in Accra on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. 

Ghana became the first country to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX), which has 92 beneficiary countries signed on to it, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

Below is the church’s statement