Expats struggle to get vaccines in Kuwait, citizens come 1st

Expats struggle to get vaccines in Kuwait, citizens come 1st

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) “” In the tiny, oil-rich sheikhdom of Kuwait, the foreigners who power the country's economy, serve its society and make up 70 percent of its population are struggling to get coronavirus vaccines.

Unlike other Gulf Arab states that have administered doses to masses of foreign workers in a race to reach herd immunity, Kuwait has come under fire for vaccinating its own people first.

That leaves legions of laborers from Asia, Africa and elsewhere, who clean Kuwaiti nationals' homes, care for their children, drive their cars and bag their groceries, still waiting for their first doses, despite bearing the brunt of the pandemic.

"The only people I've seen at the vaccination center were Kuwaiti,“ said a 27-year-old Kuwaiti doctor, who like most people interviewed for this story spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of government reprisals. "Kuwait has a citizens-first policy for everything, including when it comes to public health.“

Kuwaiti authorities did not respond to repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press on their vaccination strategy.

When Kuwait's vaccination registration site went live in December, authorities declared that health-care workers, older adults and those with underlying conditions would be first in line. As weeks ticked by, however,