HAVANA, Nov 2 (NNN-ACN) — A group of international experts, led by US scientists, highlighted Cuba’s capacity to immunize more than 90 % of the population with its own safe and effective vaccines.
The official report, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in Seattle, is the result of an exploration carried out last June by researchers from the United States, the Caribbean and Africa in Cuba on the development and use of vaccines against COVID-19.
The delegation was co-chaired by Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota; and Cristina Rabadan-Diehl, Associate Director of Clinical Trials at Westat.
According to Cuban minister of public health, Jose Angel Portal, the experts considered that what Cuba has done should serve as a model to face global public health emergencies in places with limited resources and also in developing countries.
The scientist added, according to Prensa Latina, that although the policies are complex, the barriers that prevent Cuba’s impressive group of scientists and public health experts from doing so must be tackled.
The visit to Havana was organized by MEDICC (Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba), a U.S.-based non-profit organization that promotes health-related dialogue and collaboration.
In Cuba, 9,998,047 people completed the anti-COVID-19 immunization schedule, with Cuba’s own Soberana 02, Soberana Plus and Abdala vaccines.
Cuba reported at the end of Monday a single positive case of SARS-CoV-2, contact of a previously confirmed case, the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP by its Spanish acronym) reported.
A total of 38 patients had been admitted, 31 suspected and 7 confirmed active.
The diagnosed case belongs to the age group under 20 to 39 years of age and is female. No deaths were reported and 2 medical discharges were given.
One asymptomatic case was diagnosed during the day, totaling 147,513 cases, which represents 13.3% of those confirmed to date. — NNN-ACN
