Soberana 02 and Abdala: When do Cuban vaccines arrive in the country?

In recent days, the Argentine Ambassador to Cuba, Luis Ilarregui, has become the Kirchner government’s main contact with the population for all matters relating to Cuban vaccines. Already during the first days of May, he indicated that “as well as vaccines have been negotiated with Russia and China“The state would also bring to the country from the Caribbean island doses of Soberana02 and Abdala immunize the population. This Tuesday, in a radio interview, he estimated that “Probably“These doses would be available at local health posts in August.

“When in Cuba they will have vaccinated 70% of its population, which will be in August, the Cuban vaccine will surely reach Argentina”, said the diplomat in dialogue with Radio with you. The official also referred to the meeting that the Minister of Health, Carla Vizzotti, the presidential adviser, Cecilia Nicolini, and the President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, held a few days ago in Havana. “They met with the health authorities and the Cuban Minister of Health and signed a letter of intent and a letter of confidentiality,” added the Argentine representative in Cuba.

The Ambassador explained that in Cuba the Soberana 02 and Abdala vaccines are those which are “more advanced”, but Soberana01 and Soberana plus are also under development, the latter of which “would serve as a for any vaccine“And also to treat patients with Covid-19 because” it greatly reduces bilateral pneumonia “.

“In Cuba, they get vaccinated in what is called a health intervention, which looks like a prolonged phase 3 and they have already reached 1,140,000 vaccinated,” commented Ilaregui; He also argued that until last week 10% of the population was inoculated there and local authorities hope to vaccinate 70% of residents in August from the largest island in the Caribbean.

Asked about the health progress that is being verified in Cuba, the ambassador explained that in this country, they did “basic work years ago” because they produce eight of the 15 vaccines on their schedule. , and also “created the drug for meningococcus and hepatitis B”. In addition, the ambassador said that the citizens of the country “have a big problem and that is that they have lost” 95% of their income in tourism due to the pandemic, and in January “they reached the same number of infections as in 2020” because “they opened the airports”.

“They are worried, despite a fairly low mortality. Yesterday they had 8 deaths and they are still around 1,100 daily cases with the South African strain, ”he explained. He also pointed out that in local government they have the desire to be “The first country in the world to vaccinate 100% of the population with its own vaccine.”

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