Kuwait: Health ministry announces availability of winter vaccinations
In Kuwait, the Ministry of Health has announced that winter vaccinations for winter illnesses, including influenza and lung infections, are now available at 43 medical centres and 14 hospitals nationwide.
The Kuwait news agency, KUNA, reported that in the Al-Assima health region, vaccinations are being provided at 14 centres, including the preventive medical ward at Al-Amiri Hospital.
Other centres offering the service in Al-Assima include Hamad Al-Sagr (Odailiah), Abdullah Abdulmoghni (Faihaa), Al-Ihgagi (Daiya), Jaber Al-Ahmad, Al-Roda, Shikhan Al-Farsi, Sharifa Al-Awadhi (Surra), Munira Al-Ayyar (Kaifan), Doha, North Sulaibikhat, and Jaber Al-Ahmad.
The ministry also listed nine centres in Al-Farwaniya, seven in Al-Ahmadi, five in Al-Jahraa, and three in Mubarak Al-Kabeer. Vaccinations are additionally available at several hospitals, including Al-Sabah and Ibn Sina.
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This follows the ministry’s launch of the seasonal vaccination campaign last Sunday, aimed at protecting against influenza and lung infections during the winter months.
According to the World Health Organization, WHO, there are around a billion cases of seasonal influenza annually, including 3–5 million cases of severe illness. It added that it causes 290,000 to 650,000 respiratory deaths annually.
Ninety-nine per cent of deaths in children under 5 years of age with influenza-relate lower respiratory tract infections are in developing countries. Symptoms begin 1–4 days after infection and usually last around a week.
The WHO noted that safe and effective vaccines have been used for more than 60 years. Immunity from vaccination goes away over time so annual vaccination is recommended to protect against influenza.
The vaccine may be less effective in older people, but it will make the illness less severe and reduces the chance of complications and death, it explained.
