Cuba Advances COVID-19 Clinical Trial on Children

Havana, Aug 9 (ACN) Cuba is advancing clinical trials on Children with locally developed COVID-19 candidate vaccines in a process that includes 350 minors, with 50 on stage one and 300 on stage two.

“Soberana Pediatria” is how the trial underway in Havana is known in Spanish. The process could wind up in late September, said senior researcher with the trial Doctor Rinaldo Puga, who noted that no serious adverse effects have shown so far, and he described the results as very positive.
Twelve-year-old Gabriel Garcia visited for the second time Havana’s Juan Manuel Marquez Pediatric Hospital to take his second and last shot of the candidate vaccine Soberana Plus.

The young boy has been the first Cuban child to have been immunized with the Soberana 02- Soberana Plus vaccination program, which is part of the first stage of clinical studies with the Cuban biotech product for the pediatric population.

Gabriel said that “we must now take much care in order to protect ourselves better from the virus, so I suggest all kids to get vaccinated.”

Daniela Benitez (17) is another volunteer young girl to have joined the trial; she stressed the appropriate information and attention by the health personnel in the vaccination process. “All my friends are closely following my results here because they want to get the vaccine,” said the young girl.

Daniela’s dad, Jose, says he trust the research process and expects to see more kids protected against the SARS-CoV-2, once results advance.

Yanet Chapi, a specialist with the National Center for the Coordination of Clinical Trials said that the research study is going very well under all established protocols. (photos available at fotos.acn.cu)