“Kuwait Humanitarian Land” – Limiting flu injections to Kuwaitis draws mixed reaction

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KUWAIT CITY, Oct 19: Ministry of Health’s decision to limit the winter vaccinations for seasonal influenza and pneumonia to Kuwaiti citizens in the current period without expatriates has incited controversy between supporters and critics, reports Al-Qabas daily. While the Ministry of Health explained that the decision is due to the limited quantities of vaccines that arrived in the country, supporters of its decision saw that every country gives priority to its citizens in treatment and vaccines that prevent the disease.

Critics considered “the disease does not know nationality” and does not differentiate between one person and another, and that vaccination in Kuwaiti society against viruses and infectious diseases must include everyone – citizens and expatriates – on “Kuwait Humanitarian Land”.

Health officials stressed on the ministry’s keenness to provide health care to patients of all nationalities, noting the vaccinations are preventive and not curative. Therefore, the decision to limit them to citizens is currently regulatory, and has no other dimensions, stating the possibility of including segments of residents to take the bait.

In the same context, sources revealed the available flu vaccines are estimated at about 80,000 doses, 72,000 of which have been distributed to preventive health centers. They indicated that 70percent of those quantities were consumed, while 8,000 doses remain in the medical warehouses. They pointed out that the ministry has been waiting for the arrival of additional quantities of vaccines within a short period.

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