KUWAIT: Member of the higher advisory committee and vaccines committee at the health ministry Prof Khalid Al-Saeed said the first batch of coronavirus vaccines will arrive in Kuwait tomorrow or on Wednesday, adding that it includes around 150,000 doses enough for 75,000 individuals, as each person will get two shots. He said over 60,000 people have registered on the online vaccine platform.

Saeed said the first stage of inoculation will be to protect the most vulnerable, including frontliners such as doctors and nurses, the elderly and those who suffer from chronic diseases. He said pregnant women and children will be vaccinated later.

Saeed said the vaccine is safe and effective, noting that around 1.2 million people have been vaccinated around the world so far and no one had any complications that required hospitalization and there have been no deaths. He added there have been allergic reactions in a very few number of cases.

About the vaccination procedure for those registered on the platform, he said messages will be sent to them including the time they will receive the vaccine at the Mishref fairgrounds. When the person arrives, their temperature will be checked and social distancing will be maintained. Nurses will scrutinize every person's information and they will get the vaccine in the left arm.

Saeed said the dose will be around 0.3 ml at room temperature at the time of administration. He said the vaccinated person will remain in the waiting room for between 15 to 20 minutes to make sure there are no allergic reactions. He said specialized doctors will supervise the vaccination process to deal with any emergency that may occur, in addition to having an emergency department at the site. He concluded that the process will be preceded by an awareness campaign. - Al-Jarida