Venezuela started applying “Abdala” vaccine, the Cuban inoculant against COVID-19

Venezuelan authorities began on Tuesday to vaccinate the population against COVID-19 with Cuban vaccine candidate Abdala. A consignment donated by Havana has arrived in Venezuela in recent days and has been incorporated into the government’s mass vaccination plan. The two countries have signed a contract for the supply of 12 million doses in the coming months.

Some Venezuelans and sectors of the opposition had expressed reservations about the lack of information on the vaccination campaign and the fact that Abdala was not approved by institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO ), but others felt reassured when receiving the dose. “What I have is joy because the vaccines have arrived and they are going to vaccinate me,” said Elena Varela, 75. “As the Cuban is here, very welcome.”

On Twitter, the communications team of opposition leader Juan Guaidó announced: “Now we Venezuelans are totally defenseless and without choice before the imposition of the biologic Abdala, without WHO approval. We demand approved vaccines for everyone.”.

According to Cuban authorities last week, its immunizer has an efficiency of 92.28%, and consider a plan of three doses 14 days apart.

“Efficiency with three doses of Abdala will be an event that will multiply pride”President Miguel Díaz-Canel tweeted last week, shortly before the study’s results were released. These data were announced, without further details, in the Round Table program on state television. In this way, it was not specified how many positives were reported among the volunteers who received the placebo and how many participants were infected who received the formula.

Contrary to the enthusiasm of President Nicolás Maduro for the announcement of the acquisition of Cuban vaccines, Several health unions and independent institutions such as the National Academy of Medicine of Venezuela have expressed their “concern at the introduction into the Venezuelan population of products of dubious scientific credibility”.

“The credibility of any vaccine and its acceptability by the community rests in large part on the publication of results in prestigious scientific journals “or” authorization by an independent and credible regulatory body, such as the US FDA or the European Medicines Agency, even if we assume that these organizations will not be consulted ”, underlined the Academy. “In this sense, we believe that the advice of the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization would be very important “added the brief.

Maduro said that aims to vaccinate “at least 70% of the population” before October. The country started on February 18 on The first phase of immunization initially focused on the health, safety and education sector, and on May 29, it added the over-60s to the process.

Venezuela has 270,654 cumulative cases and 3,084 deaths.

(With AP information)

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