Expats on vacation in dilemma over policy of jabs for under 18 years of age

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KUWAIT CITY, Aug 19: Dozens of Egyptian families who reside in Kuwait but are spending their summer vacation in Egypt are greatly concerned about the fate of their children who are under 18 years of age, due to the differences in the health procedures and requirements followed in Kuwait and Egypt in terms of the vaccination of those under the age of 18 years, reports Al-Qabas daily. Amal Arafa, a teacher working for the Ministry of Education and currently spending her vacation in Egypt, said her family is faced with the threat of separation due to Kuwait’s decision to impose vaccination on 16-yearolds, as Egypt does not give the vaccine to those under 18 years of age. In an exclusive press statement, she said, “There are more than a hundred families suffering from this crisis.

They have children who are over 16 years of age. It is not possible to travel without them, and at the same time they are restricted to their jobs and have specific contracts and vacations. It is difficult to travel and leave the children to live far from them”. Another Egyptian expatriate Ayman said he tried to contact the Egyptian Ministries of Health and Immigration, but did not receive any response in this regard.

Explained
He explained that this decision threatens the safety of his family and his son’s academic future, as he is in high school and is excellent in his studies. The failure to find any solution complicates the situation. He tried to communicate by all means with the Egyptian Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Immigration to find a solution to their crisis, but he did not receive a response. In the same context, Muhammad Yahya indicated that there are hundreds of families of teachers in Kuwait who are now in Egypt, and have children who are over 16 years old, adding that they do not know what the solution is in light of the inability to vaccinate adolescents in Egypt.

Furthermore, one of the teachers, who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed the readiness of her 17-year-old daughter to be vaccinated at Kuwait Airport, be subjected to institutional or home quarantine, undergo PCR test twice, and follow any decisions of the health authorities in Kuwait, in the hope of allowing her daughter to join her family. In addition, an official source from the Egyptian Ministry of Health told the daily that it is not possible to vaccinate children under the age of 18 at the present time, as the matter is currently under study and research. He said the Egyptian Ministry of Health’s position on this issue has been announced, and it is awaiting a recommendation from the vaccine producing companies, or the World Health Organization to allow the use of COVID- 19 vaccines on those under 18 years of age.

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