Moderna tests on infants

KUWAIT CITY, March 17: The Observer of Development at the Information Systems Department of the Ministry of Health, Musaed Al-Huwaishel, announced 800,000 people (300,000 citizens and 500,000 residents) were registered with electronic platforms to receive the Covid-19 vaccination including about 430,000 people who have already received the vaccination. In a statement to Al-Seyassah, Al-Huwaishel confirmed the keenness of Minister of Health Sheikh Dr. Basel Al-Sabah to vaccinate about one million citizens and residents with the advent of the month of Ramadan, by seeking to double the number of vaccination centers soon from the current 15 to 30.

Al-Huwaishel noted the continuous development and updating of the electronic platforms for registration for vaccination against the cirus, pointing out that the electronic platforms of the Ministry of Defense, the Kuwait Oil Company and other parties follow the main electronic platform of the Ministry of Health, as it is automatically linked to the subsidiary platforms of the ministries and other sectors of the state. He added the platforms and centers for examining the PCR and the mobile units follow the Department of Information Systems, noting the efforts of the information systems in supporting medical staff to take swabs and training in dealing with the electronic platforms for vaccination by facilitating the registration mechanism and dealing with smart devices.

He explained that the electronic platforms send SMS text messages to people who are registered with the vaccination regarding the dates for the first and second doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer Biontech vaccines for first and second doses respectively. The people are also reminded when the time comes for the second dose given the long period between the two doses which is about three months. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Cancer Awareness Campaign ‘CAN’ and the official in charge of the campaign’s volunteer team, Dr. Khaled Al-Saleh, confirmed that the campaign is about to set up a virtual training course for volunteers under the slogan ‘The Art of Dealing with Cancer Patients’, next Monday, through the ‘TIMES’ program.

Al-Saleh said in a press statement the Head of the Social Service Department at the Palliative Care Center, Hoda Al-Shehab, will present this course. He indicated Al-Shehab will talk about the psychological stages that a cancer patient goes through and the appropriate ways to deal with each stage. He stated the campaign relied heavily on volunteers, especially through the implementation of exhibitions, public seminars and public activities during the last period. He indicated that those wishing to participate in the course should call 55494820.

The Ministry of Health is studying to generalize all the medical, technical and administrative staff who has received the vaccine against “Covid-19” and to place a ‘vaccinated’ sticker on the chest of their uniforms, reports Al-Jarida. Informed health sources said that dozens of health centers have finished vaccinating all their staff, while others have vaccinated about 70 percent of their workers. The sources indicated that this step will lead to the enthusiasm of the visitors and urge them to get vaccinated; pointing out that medical team will be allocated to explain the benefits of vaccination to the people visiting the health facilities.

The US Moderna firm said on Tuesday that it began its coronavirus vaccine trial on infants and young children so as to expand the US Food and Drug Administration’s authorization to include this group. In a statement, it said the study would include 6,750 healthy pediatric participants age between six months and 12 years in the US and Canada. In Part 1, each participant ages two years to less than 12 years may receive one of two dose levels (50 or 100 micrograms), it stated.

By Marwa Al-Bahrawi Al-Seyassah Staff and Agencies