Havana, Cuba: A decisive week for the mass vaccination against Covid-19 in Cuba begins today, with a view to ensuring that the entire population has at least one dose of the national immunogens by the end of this month.
Eight million 879 thousand 811 citizens (79.3 percent) have already received that amount of injectables Soberana 02, from the Finlay Vaccine Institute (IFV), and from Abdala, the latter designed by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) .
The provinces of Havana, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Ciego de Ávila and Santiago de Cuba stand out for the advances in vaccination, reflected in the favorable epidemiological scenario they currently present, he stressed.
To reach the entire population of the Caribbean country, vaccination of elderly convalescent from the disease began on Saturday in the capital and several provinces of the country with a dose of Soberana Plus, from IFV, and those allergic to thiomersal with 120 thousand units of Abdala delivered on Friday by the CIGB.
Some 1,400 children and young people up to 18 years of age who are hypersensitive to this drug will be inoculated with the national immunogen Soberana 02, and about 22,000 adults with Abdala without this compound.
Likewise, 120 thousand convalescents with less than two months of having suffered the disease will receive a single dose of Soberana Plus and in the case of children, they will not be immunized while the planned vaccine candidate is awaiting the approval of the Center for the State Control of Medicines, Equipment and Medical Devices (Cecmed), regulator on the island.
At a meeting of the Temporary Working Group to confront Covid-19 in this city, it was reported that, according to schedule, next Wednesday the Cuban capital will have immunized 95 percent of its population with a first intervention and will complete the three-dose schedule about 80 percent.
On the other hand, the CIGB confirmed on Saturday on its Twitter account the production of 30 million doses of this injectable that will guarantee the immunization of the population over 19 years of age, as well as pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, people with transplants, adolescents and young people in terminal grades of the national education system.
Cuba aspires to inoculate its entire population against Covid-19 with its own immunogens this year, for which it is promoting a national vaccination campaign that includes pediatric ages, until now the only one of its kind in the world.