Kuwait City: As Kuwait is gearing up to administer the second dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the Ministry of Health is preparing to open up new vaccination centers to bring the total to 31 that are capable of administering the UK manufactured vaccine, local media reported.
So far, there are 22 vaccination centers, 21 of which are health care facilities that have been designated to administer the Oxford vaccine.
On Sunday, the Jaber Causeway Bridge vaccination center opened and has the capacity to vaccinate occupants of 80 cars at one time, with the aim of vaccinating 10,000 people a day. On the first day, health professionals began administering the second dose for those that were eligible.
An informed source revealed that between the 22 centers and the new bridge vaccination center, eight more centers will be opened soon as Kuwait is expecting to start giving out the second dose of the Oxford vaccine to those that have based the three-month mark.
Each center will have two shifts, with most places aiming to vaccinate around 800 people a day, bringing the nationwide vaccination drive to over 23,000 people a day.
Vaccination progress
According to health officials, so far more than two million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Kuwait.
Over the past month, employees working in commercial businesses, cinema, restaurants, cafes, saloons and malls, have been vaccinated as part of a mass vaccination campaign. Mobile vaccination centers have been set up across the country or have traveled to malls to vaccinate the workers.
Since Kuwait began its vaccination campaign on December 24, the Ministry of Health has granted emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
Kuwait has received 18th shipments of the Pfizer vaccine and is expecting to receive the 19th batch by Sunday. As for the Oxford vaccine, three shipments have arrived so far as there is a worldwide shortage.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Health decided to postpone the second dose of both the Pfizer and Oxford vaccine.
Those that got the Oxford vaccine will be given the second dose between three to four months after the first one, instead of 12 weeks after the first dose.
As for the Pfizer vaccine, the second dose will be given six weeks after the first one, except for those who are above the age of 60, who will continue to receive it after 21 days.
