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According to Cuban authorities, 396,382 people over 19 years old will be vaccinated at over 400 medical points.
Cuba's Health Ministry on Wednesday kicked off Havana's immunization campaign with the Abdala vaccine, developed by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB).
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The vaccination will begin in the municipalities of Regla, East Havana, San Miguel del Padron, and Guanabacoa, which are the most affected territories by the pandemic.
"Everything is set up to vaccinate the capital's people," Health Ministry's official Nilda Roca said and explained that Havana is the province with the highest number of COVID-19 cases nationwide.
Over the next three weeks, 396,382 people over 19 years old will receive three doses of the vaccine at over 400 medical points. Each facility will receive about 100 residents daily.
#Cuba has started vaccinating for #COVID19, using 2 of it’s own vaccines. Health ministry expects 70% of the adult population to be fully vaccinated by August. pic.twitter.com/WZlPa1VpHG
— Mary Murray (@MaryMurrayNBC) May 11, 2021
The Provincial Defense Council assured that the refrigeration equipment to keep the doses at the required temperature and the logistics to transport the vaccines to the clinical sites are already guaranteed.
"Health workers will check patients for one hour, to make sure that no one presents strong adverse reactions," Roca added and explained that over 4,000 Medical students will take part in this process.
Abdala is one of five COVID-19 vaccines being developed in the country, which plans to immunize 70 percent of its population by August 2021.
This homegrown vaccine concluded its Phase III clinical trials on May 1 in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, and Granma. According to experts, Abdala is a very safe vaccine.
Cuba is working on four COVID-19 vaccines. pic.twitter.com/as7i4zQiQ0
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) January 18, 2021
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