Cuba with firm steps towards immunization against COVID-19, stresses Díaz-Canel

HAVANA, Cuba, May 3 (ACN) Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, President of the Republic of Cuba, said on Sunday that the vaccine candidate Abdala is approaching the goal and that "We are taking firm steps towards the total immunization of the country".

Our vaccine candidate #Abdala is getting closer to the goal. This #MayFirst concluded phase 3 of the trial in Santiago, Granma and Guantánamo, the president wrote on his official Twitter account.

He noted that 48,290 volunteers received the three doses, with very few adverse effects. "We are going with firm steps towards the total immunization of the country," the head of state assured.

Minutes before arriving at the Revolution Square, this Saturday, President Díaz-Canel wrote on his Twitter social network account: "It is monumental what has been done to survive the pandemic under reinforced blockade and still move forward. A hard-working and creative people like ours deserves an immense tribute.".

The application of the third dose of the anti-COVID-19 Abdala vaccine candidate concluded today in the southeastern region of Cuba, after the phase III clinical trial began last March 22, notes the Cuban News Agency from Santiago de Cuba.

According to Francisco Hernández, head of the Clinical Study, the stage culminated with an adherence to the protocol of over 97 percent, a figure that reflects the permanence of most of the 48,290 volunteers from the municipalities of Bayamo, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo included in the research.

The expert confirmed to the aforementioned press media the adequate safety profile of CIGB-66, estimated in phases I-II, because only mild adverse events such as headache, pain and erythema in the injection area were registered, many of them without the need for medication.

Regarding the efficacy of the product, he informed that on Monday, May 3, the evaluation of this variable, the main one in this period of the research, will begin with the follow-up of all the subjects, with the purpose of detecting those who are symptomatic positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, which causes the disease.