The Ministry of Public Health in Cuba reported that as of June 7th, 2.946.572 doses of the Cuban vaccine candidates have been administered across the nation as part of the development strategy of these bio-based products.

In its official website, the Ministry details that to date, 1.810.895 individuals have been administered with at least one dose of the vaccine candidates while 961.973 people have received two doses and 173.704 individuals already have the three doses.

The report also points out the number of doses administered taking into consideration the different patterns of vaccination; namely, health intervention, intervention studies, and clinical trials.

HEALTH INTERVENTION

Since early May, the Ministry of Public Health, protected by Article 64 of Law 41 “Public Health Law”, issued on July 13^th 1983, approved a health intervention with the Cuban vaccine candidates Abdala and Soberana 02 on vulnerable groups and areas.

Start Date: May 2021

Participants:

Health personnel: BioCubaFarma’s, Medical Sciences’ students, and vulnerable groups. Population in vulnerable areas selected by stages.

Total doses administered during Health Intervention: 2.375.887

INTERVENTION STUDY

As part of researches associated to the Cuban vaccine candidates Soberana 02 and Abdala, an Intervention Study was carried out in vulnerable groups, focusing on individuals within vulnerable groups who could provide relevant data.

Start Date: March 2021

Participants:

Health personnel, BioCubaFarma’s, and other vulnerable groups.

Provinces where the study was carried out: Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, and Guantanamo.

Total doses administered during Health Intervention: 421.321

CLINICAL TRIALS

The development of the clinical trials of Cuban vaccine candidates Soberana 02, Abdala, and Soberana Plus (only for convalescent) was approved by the Cuba’s Center for State Control of Medicines and Medical Devices (CECMED) and implemented on volunteer subjects from the aforementioned provinces.

Start Date: March 2021

Participants:

Volunteer subjects selected by researchers

Provinces where these trials were carried out: Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, and Guantanamo.

Total doses administered during Clinical Trials: 149.364 (Placebo doses administered during Clinical Trials are excluded in this figure).

Cuba has developed five vaccine candidates against COVID-19: Soberana 01, 02, and Plus, developed by the Finlay Institute of Vaccines. While Mambisa and Abdala are developed by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.

Specialists highlight that these vaccine candidates are aimed at preventing symptomatic conditions, which means that an individual may get infected with SARS-Cov-2 without developing severe conditions of COVID-19.

Once tested the efficiency of the vaccine candidates as well as its full registration as vaccines, CECMED may grant the authorization permit, with which other population sectors may benefit from the results and experience of Cuba in the development of vaccines.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff