Cuban Children Immunized with Homegrown Vaccine against Pneumococci

 

Cienfuegos, Sept 5 (ACN) Over 11 thousand children between one and five years of age in this south-central Cuban province are being administered a homegrown candidate vaccine known as QuimiVio against the Pneumococci bacterium.

Doctor Maria Casanova, coordinator of the immunization study with the candidate vaccine developed by the Cuban Finlay Vaccines Institute, told reporters that the program includes two doses for children between 12 and 23 months of age, with an 8-week intermediate time between doses, while kids up to five years will be administered a single dose.

The immunization program is taking place till November in 20 healthcare centers and daycare centers in the province, said the doctor, who noted that the vaccine has proven safety from the immunological point of view and protects kids from seven prevailing serotypes.

Doctor Casanova recalled that a previous study carried out between 2017 and 2018 help lower the hospitalization of children due to pneumococcal diseases, pneumonia, medium otitis and other respiratory conditions

Finlay Vaccines Institute director Vicente Verez said the new initiative expects to immunize the pediatric population under the study to cut off the chain of transmission of this kind of diseases.