Havana to extend health intervention with Abdala vaccine candidate

HAVANA, Cuba, Jun 3 (ACN) In view of the complex epidemiological situation in Havana, it was decided to extend to all its municipalities, starting in the second half of June, the health intervention with the three doses of the Abdala vaccine candidate, which is currently applied in groups and territories at risk in the capital.

The information was released at a meeting of the Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, with the Provincial Council of government of Havana in an expanded format, and in which local political and administrative authorities participated.

The minister of public health (MINSAP by its Spanish acronym), Jose Angel Portal Miranda, explained that the purpose of this immunization is that by late June, the totality of Havana's population to be vaccinated will have at least one dose of Abdala, and more than 50 % will have two such doses.

By the end of July, the totality of the capital's population to be vaccinated will have completed the three doses, the head of MINSAP pointed out.

Cuban PM, however, warned that this measure cannot mean a relaxation of the hygienic-sanitary measures adopted; "a vaccinated person can be a carrier and a transmitter of COVID-19", warned Marrero Cruz.

Held at the Convention Center, the meeting was attended by deputy prime ministers, commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdes Menendez, Ines Maria Chapman Waugh, Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, Jorge Luis Tapia Fonseca and Jorge Luis Perdomo Di-Lella.

Including clinical trials, intervention studies and the current health intervention, by the end of May, 1,021,104 Cuban citizens had received the two Cuban vaccine candidates (first dose: 606,728; second dose: 346,362; and third dose: 68,014).