Havana expands health intervention with vaccine candidate Abdala

HAVANA, Cuba, Jun 14 (ACN) With the beginning today of the health intervention in Old Havana, the Cuban capital expands the immunization of its population with the Abdala vaccine candidate and plans to extend it to all Havana territories.

Dr. Sonia Resik, chief researcher of the process in the province, explained the incorporation in the next few days of three other municipalities, and in June 21-25, four more will be included.

According to what she detailed in a press conference, there are four localities with the complete vaccination scheme, while in three of them two doses of the immunogen have already been applied to all the people included.

The adverse effects registered so far are considered mild and moderate, related to pain at the injection site, erythema and induration, although she pointed out that each vaccination center has a medical emergency area in case of any eventuality, the doctor added.

The expert emphasized that the health intervention in risk groups and territories includes those over 19 years of age, with no age limit, as long as they comply with the inclusion criteria.

Resik, who is also head of the Virology Department of the Pedro Kourí Tropical Medicine Institute, recalled that the Abdala clinical trial began in December 2020 in Santiago de Cuba and then covered, in its phase III, the municipalities of Bayamo and Guantanamo(three cities in eastern Cuba).

She commented that the results of those studies corroborated an adequate safety and immunogenicity profile, and based on them, the Ministry of Public Health decided to start the health intervention in groups and territories at risk in several parts of the country, particularly in Matanzas, Havana, Isle of Youth and Santiago de Cuba.

Likewise, it was indicated that the immunization of the latter will begin within 48-72 hours after the opening of the codes and will be carried out in exclusive vaccination sites, independent from those established for the sanitary intervention.