COVID-19: Kuwait on track to vaccinate one million people by end of Ramadan

Kuwait City: The Ministry of Health is ramping up its vaccination campaign as it aims to vaccinate around one million people by the end of Ramadan, local media reported.

While the Ministry of Health has not indicated the exact number of people that have been vaccinated (either receiving the first or both doses), local media is reporting that around 800,000 residents and citizens have been vaccinated.

In recent weeks, Kuwait began raising the number of people it vaccinates per day and has begun vaccinating people working in supermarkets and mosques.

The Ministry of Health stated that employees of 12 cooperative societies (local supermarkets) in the Hawally governorate have been vaccinated. In addition, employees working at six other cooperative societies across Kuwait have also been vaccinated.

As for those working in mosques, around 5,000 employees working under the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs have been vaccinated in the past few days.

Oxford-AstraZeneca

The speeded up vaccination process occurs as Kuwait received the second batch of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine last week. It is estimated that the shipment contained around 129,000 doses.

Despite several countries halting the usage of the Oxford vaccine, Kuwait has indicated that nobody that has taken the Oxford vaccine has reported blood clotting or any other serious negative side effects.

Kuwait first began administering the Oxford vaccine in February, after the first shipment of around 200,000 doses arrived.

The spokesman of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Abdullah Al Sanad, pointed out that studies showed that to receive the optimal effectiveness from the Oxford vaccine the second dose should be administered after 12 weeks of the first dose. He added that Kuwait will be following that procedure.