Last dose of the Abdala vaccine candidate successfully applied in eastern Cuba

GUANTÁNAMO, Cuba, Apr 21 (ACN) Nearly a few days short of the completion of the third and final phase of the Abdala vaccine candidate trials in the city of Guantánamo, the clinical exercise continues without a hitch. Its success will lay the foundation of the large-scale administration of a vaccine to the Cuban population.

Monday marked the beginning of the decisive phase III involving 12,000 volunteers in this city, the sixth most populated in Cuba. According to over a hundred participating professionals and technicians, the process has been carried out smoothly and strictly following the established protocols.

Those already inoculated—in the 19 to 80 age group—report no or barely perceptible side effects. They claim to have full confidence in Cuban biotechnology and its COVID-19 candidates, proved to have safe immunogenic properties.

Trust abounds in the city, as evidenced by posts in social networks of vaccinated volunteers who state their confidence in Cuban medical science and their pride in being among the first to be protected against the virus.

Controlled interventions with the vaccine candidates Abdala and Soberana 02, produced respectively by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) and the Finlay Institute of Vaccines, are under way today, as phase III of the trials with these promising products continues with the inoculation of a large population sector.

It is a milestone in the history of Cuban science that evokes once again Fidel Castro’s farsightedness when he committed himself to biotechnological development more than 30 years ago. Now our country ranks high on the list of countries with their own anti-COVID-19 candidates, Dr. Alejandro Sanchez, one of Abdala coordinators in Guantanamo, told ACN.