Cuba Studies Abdala Vaccine Safety In Kids Aged 6 To 11 Months

On Tuesday, Cuba’s Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) Clinical Research Director Verena Mucio announced that her center studies the safety and effectiveness of the Abdala coronavirus vaccine in children between six and eleven months.

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"We want to expand our massive immunization campaign to this population group," Mucio stated, stressing that the CIGB is also conducting a clinical study with pregnant and postpartum women vaccinated with Abdala to evaluate the immune response of their children received by passive antibody transfer.

The Abdala vaccine, whose use in children older than two years was authorized by the Cuban Center for State Control of Medicines, Equipment, and Medical Devices (CECMED), showed an efficacy rate of 92.28 percent in clinical trials. 

The vaccine has also been granted emergency use authorization for adults in Vietnam, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Mexico, which showed interest in reviewing the record of clinical trials conducted on children.

Once the World Health Organization (WHO) experts finish analyzing the Abdala dossiers submitted by Cuban authorities in September 2021, they will qualify this vaccine as a suitable product for COVID-19 emergency treatment.

So far, 96 percent of Cuba's older-than-two-years population has been immunized against COVID-19, and about 6.5 million citizens have received a booster dose against the disease.

As of May 3, Cuba had reported 1,103,395 coronavirus cases and 8,527 related deaths, one of which occurred during the last 72 hours.