Cuba’s Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology has released the initial results of the phase-III of its three-dose COVID-19 vaccine, claiming that the vaccine offers more than 90% protection against the viral infection.
Named Abdala, the indigenous Cuban vaccine has a 92.28% efficacy rate at preventing the original strain of COVID-19 as well as the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma variants that emerged from the UK, South Africa, and Brazil respectively.
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The phase-III clinical trials of Abdala involved more than 48,000 volunteers and the three doses of the vaccine were administered two weeks apart.
Last week, Cuba’s Finlay Institute announced the preliminary results of the phase-III of its Coronavirus vaccine, Soberana 2, claiming that the vaccine offers 62% protection against the viral infection after two doses administered 4 weeks apart.
Reports claim that both Abdala and Soberana 2 are set to be approved by Cuban regulators for the treatment of Coronavirus.
Cuba has five COVID-19 vaccine candidates in clinical trials. Two of them are Abdala and Soberana 2 which are in phase-III clinical trials.
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From Argentina to Venezuela and Jamaica to Mexico, several countries have expressed an interest in procuring Cuban COVID-19 vaccines.
Note that Cuba has decided not to import foreign COVID-19 vaccines and to depend on indigenous vaccines. Although a risky move, according to experts, if it pays off, Cuba can earn much-needed hard currency through exports and strengthen the vaccination drive worldwide.
