Kuwait has contracted with US pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Johnson & Johnson to supply it with their coronavirus vaccines, Minister of Health Dr. Sheikh Bassel Al-Sabah said on Sunday. In an interview with the Kuwait TV, Dr. Bassel expected the delivery of Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines in the last quarter of this year. Commenting on the delay in the delivery of vaccine doses from certain producers, the minister argued that about 75 percent of produced vaccines are given to 10 countries, while the residue goes to other world countries, he added. He went on to say that the delay in receiving vaccines is not a problem facing Kuwait only but also all Gulf and many other countries. He assured those waiting for the second jab of the AstraZeneca vaccine that the vaccine doses have arrived and stored in the country. The producer, however, recommended pre-usage tests, he said, noting the AstraZeneca is expected to deliver test results on June 8. If the results came positive, vaccination will start directly, he stressed, pointing out that the ministry has a plan to vaccinate the 200,000 people who are waiting for the second dose in 10 days. But if AstraZeneca demanded more time to send the results, beneficiaries will have the choice of getting a second dose from Pfizer vaccine, he said. "We are approaching the herd immunity, but there are challenges, including the lack of vaccines," he added. Controlling this pandemic needs a fair distribution of vaccines to all countries to stop the mutation of the virus, he explained. The minister affirmed that the country's pandemic situation is stable, despite registering new infections on a daily basis as other world's countries do. He noted that the ministry records all positive cases either with or without symptoms unlike many other countries, which register only those who have symptoms. He lauded the implementation of the preventive measures across the country, hoping for continued abidance by these measures until the end of the pandemic. Cooperation of citizens and expats helped the ministry implement preventive and precautionary measures and protected the medical system over the past 16 months, he stated. — KUNA
