Cuban authorities highlight results of national vaccine against pneumococcal disease

HAVANA, Cuba, Jul 19 (ACN) Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Cuban communist party and president of the country, highlighted today on Twitter the results of the multivalent vaccine against pneumococcus.

This vaccine, QuimiVio, is included in the first World Health Organization (WHO) report on immunogens under development to prevent infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.

Roberto Morales Ojeda, member of the Political Bureau and Secretary of Organization of the Party's Central Committee, said on the same social media that this is a relevant result of Cuban science.

Quimi-Vio protects against seven of the most infectious and highly prevalent pneumococcus serotypes worldwide, the pathogen that causes most pneumonia and bacterial meningitis in children, in addition to bloodstream infections, otitis media, sinusitis and bronchitis.

The Cuban vaccine is among the 61 compounds in different phases of clinical studies to combat diseases caused by pathogens, within the WHO priority list.

According to Granma newspaper, an intervention study was conducted with Quimi-Vio in the province of Cienfuegos (central Cuba), between 2017 and 2018, which covered 91.3 % of children aged one to five years old with the possibility of being vaccinated; and the compound has demonstrated safety, by generating expected adverse events of mild character at the local level.