President of Cuba praises vaccination against Covid-19 in children.

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# Miguel Diaz-Canel, #COVID-19 pandemic., #Cuba, #Cuba Saves, #lvaccination of children and adolescents

The president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, praised the vaccination of children and adolescents and against Covid-19 , initiated in the country using the domestic vaccines Soberana and Abdala.

The president highlighted in his Twitter account the fact that after a year and a half of facing the pandemic and deeply regretting each death from this disease, the images of minors receiving their injections ‘are like the light at the end of the tunnel.’

Cuba became the first country to carry out a national childhood immunization campaign against Covid-19, after the Center for State Control of Medicines, Equipment and Medical Devices issued last Friday the authorization for the emergency use for Sovereign 02 among the Cuban population.

According to Dr. Ileana Morales, director of Science and Technological Innovation of the Ministry of Public Health, the vaccination schedule in pediatric ages comprises two fundamental stages.

The first is the vaccination of 78,200 pre-university students, the third year of technical-professional schools and the last year of pedagogical training, scheduled between September 3rd and October 3rd using the Abdala vaccine.

Cuba is and will continue to be a country of peace, says president.

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#Covid-19 in 2021., #Cuba, #Cuba Saves

Cuba is and will go on being a country of peace, President Miguel Díaz-Canel said.

 

On Twitter, Díaz-Canel called for the unity of the Cuban people and families.

Amid such difficult days, I call for the unity of our people and of all Cuban families, wherever they may be. #CubaPorLaPaz, he subscribed.

He added that ‘to defend the peace of our streets we will go on making every effort.’

Cuban researcher highlights advantages of intervention studies.

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# Abdala, #COVID-19 pandemic., #Cuba, #Cuba Saves, #Soberana-2, #vaccination campaign

Intervention studies with Cuba’s Covid-19 vaccine candidates have the advantage of resembling what would happen when the vaccine, once registered, is administered at field level, experts explained on Monday.

Dr. Sonia Resik, principal researcher of these studies with the Abdala vaccine candidate, spoke about the characteristics of this research process and its differences with clinical trials, as well as the advantages of the population-based intervention, at a press conference.

‘Controlled intervention studies differ from clinical trials in that there is no randomization of the subjects who participate in it, that is, there is no control group. You have as a control group the same population group that is not vaccinated, who do not participate in the controlled trial,’ the expert from the Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK) explained.

According to her, one of the advantages of these studies is the inclusion of risk groups, in which when the intervention is carried out with the vaccine candidate, the possibility of transmitting the disease to the rest of the people is reduced, and if they fall ill, the transition to serious conditions, even death, is prevented.

The head of department of IPK’s Virology laboratories emphasized that the responses obtained so far with Abdala in terms of safety and immunogenicity in the different age groups are very good, results certified by the Center for State Control of Drugs, Equipment and Medical Devices.

You imperialists are the terrorists!.

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#Cuba, #Cuba Saves, #Imperialism, #No more terrorism, #Spain

The imperialist administration of former President Trump did not have a criminal record, we would have to be thinking about some pathogenic disease that leaves the subject unable to make a free and reasoned decision, but we are not in the field of psychology / psychiatry, we are in the world of mortals in the middle of the general crisis of capitalism with the spur of the COVID-19 pandemic that has already caused the death of more than 2.6 million people on planet Earth.

Days before handing over the US presidency, the bloodthirsty Trump reopens the box of thunder against Cuba and, under fallacies and informational montages, includes Cuba in the list of countries that sponsor terrorism, which originated in late 1979 as element of political charge in the struggle that imperialism had with the USSR in those years. Because on this list were Libya, Iraq, South Yemen and Syria, later joining this select club Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Afghanistan, Cuba; But, on what list were in those years the Zionist entity of Israel, Pinochet’s Chile, the bloody dictatorships of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and so many other countries that exercised torture, disappearances, the horrors of repression against women? popular forces?… Well, surely in that of the gifted students of the School of the Americas who, cynically, some came to describe “bastards, but they are our bastards!”

What is this list for? Well, the answer is simple: to, in the hands of criminals, continue causing deaths, destruction, threats, harassment … with the aim of demolishing! There is the parody of the pickpocket who yells at the thief, the thief !!

We are not in a political environment where human rights or individual and collective freedoms are prosecuted; quite the contrary. It is one more tool in what is the imperialist war against the peoples who reject the impositions of working through gangsters of the Big Capital powers; and Cuba, dignified and revolutionary, since January 1, 1959, has ceased to be a puppet of imperialism and its mafias.

Imposively, the US imposes sanctions in the economic, financial and commercial fields, doubling its war that began with the Blockade. These sanctions sarcastically go as far as “prohibiting the sale of arms” (of the world’s largest producer and seller), surveillance of exports with “double purpose”, restrictions on economic aid (to the most supportive country in the world) and impediment of financing with entities or international banks.

We are witnessing, then, one of the cruelest episodes of “organized crime”, since the US leads it – but they are not the only ones – since they have the invaluable company of the NATO and EU countries.

Cuba’s scientific talent shines in Latin America

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#COVID-19 pandemic., #Cuba, #Cuba Saves, #Cuba's scientific talent

Cuba exhibits achievements in Latin America thanks to its scientific talent, obtaining in record time five vaccine candidates, reaching the number of 23 Molecular Biology laboratories and developing several artificial respirator prototypes.

 

According to local media, developing four Covid-19 vaccine candidates in a short time is a feat of biotechnology in Cuba, but reaching a fifth is even more of a milestone of these projects.

The scientific feat could make Cuba the first country in Latin America with its own medicine against the disease.

Such progress – for a tiny island that has been subjected to an economic, commercial and financial blockade by the United States for over half a century – is an event in the field of science that is already setting a worldwide trend with the Sovereign 02 vaccine candidate.

Dr. Francisco Duran, national director of Epidemiology, reported that one year after the first cases of Covid-19 were detected in Cuba, the western province of Mayabeque opened a molecular biology laboratory, number 23 countrywide.

Soberana 02, the first Latin American vaccine in phase III trials.

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#COVID-19 pandemic., #Cuba, #Cuba Saves, #Soberana-2, #The Cuban candidate vaccine becomes the first of its kind in Latin America to reach this stage

 

The Center for State Control of Medicines, Equipment and Medical Devices (Cecmed) has authorized the initiation of phase III clinical trials of the Soberana 02 candidate vaccine, after a rigorous analysis of the documentation submitted by the Finlay Vaccine Institute on findings gathered thus far.

President of the Republic of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez yesterday also posted a tweet noting that phase III clinical trials were at hand for Soberana 02 and Abdala, in Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo, with more than 85,000 volunteers; as well as phase II trials of Soberana 01 in Cienfuegos. “Welcome hope, but let us not forget responsibility,” he added.

He also highlighted “another milestone of our science: Soberana 01A, a new candidate vaccine (Cuba’s fifth) for recovering COVID-19 patients. Cuban science continues to report good news.”

These accomplishments remind us that the history of the Revolution is a continuous cycle, punctuated by epic moments that serve to define both the nature of the social process and that of our people who play the leading role in all achievements.

Cuba will soon embrace a new challenge, perhaps the most important that can be waged today: the immunization of our entire population against a deadly virus that has terrorized the world.

After producing what is the first vaccine in Latin America against the SARS-COV-2 virus, according to the Pan American Health Organization and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Cuba will be in an ideal position to launch a vaccination campaign to protect our people from COVID-19

Cuba will vaccinate its entire population against COVID-19 in 2021.

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#COVID-19 pandemic., #Cuba, #Cuba Saves, #Cuba will vaccinate its entire population

Cuba’s national public health system is waging a hard battle against the new coronavirus, sparing no effort and overcoming physical and intellectual fatigue.

The Party and government’s strong political will has made this possible, along with the impressive work of our scientists who have again reiterated that Cuba will be among the first countries in the world to vaccinate its entire population in 2021, despite the tightening of the U.S. blockade of the island over the past 12 months, stated Dr. Eduardo Martínez Díaz, president of the BioCubaFarma state pharmaceutical enterprise group, on his Twitter account.

The general director of the Finlay Vaccine Institute, Dr. Vicente Vérez Bencomo, has reported that the country is preparing capacity to produce 100 million doses of the injectable Soberana 02 vaccine against COVID-19.

Regarding this announcement, Dr. María Eugenia Toledo Romaní, epidemiologist at the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK), condemned the escalating sanctions imposed by the United States which have a negative impact on the effort to expand capacity toward this end, stating, “If we are obliged to purchase new machinery and erect more plants, this is extremely difficult given the limitations we face in acquiring the technologies.”

This is why BioCubaFarma is taking advantage of its international experience to sign agreements with other countries that can help with the needed resources and allow the project to advance.

Dr. Toledo additionally explained, “To conduct a Phase 3 clinical study of efficacy, in which we show that vaccinated subjects are less likely to become ill than those who were not vaccinated, we must measure this aspect and then make comparisons to find the necessary statistical evidence to finally determine that the candidate vaccine is no less effective than others on the world market.

SPARING NO EFFORT

Currently underway on the island is a Phase 2b expanded clinical trial

of the candidate vaccine Soberana 02 in persons between 19 and 80 years of age, in the Havana municipalities of La Lisa and Plaza de la Revolución.

Dr. Mayra García Carmenate, research coordinator at the 19 de Abril neighborhood polyclinic, explained that the site was selected for the trials because the facility has met the standard prerequisite of systematically adhering to “best practices,” and has participated in several months of training to prepare staff members involved and subjects who will receive either the vaccine or a placebo.

After administration of the vaccine, participants will remain under observation for one hour to evaluate any adverse side effects and will be actively monitored via out-patient follow up visits for a period of 28 days. If any reaction should occur, the subject is to immediately return to the clinic where a 24-hour medical post will be maintained to evaluate the situation and, if necessary, transfer the subject to the appropriate public health facility.

Nobel Prize for Cuban doctors long overdue.

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#COVID-19 pandemic., #Cuba, #Cuba Saves, #Henry Reeve Brigade arrived in South Africa on Freedom Day last year, #Nobel Prize for Cuban doctors, #South Africa, #South African doctors

For Shannon Ebrahim is Independent Media’s Foreign Editor.

There are few people left in the world who don’t do things for money or personal gain, but for the joy of saving someone’s life and reaching those who need help the most. Ordinarily, such selflessness belongs to those in the realm of angels, but from experience I have seen such human beings working in our country.

They are in our far-flung rural areas, helping the poorest of our people for little financial gain. They live in our communities, learn our languages, work on the front lines with our Covid-positive patients, all the while leaving their young children more than 12 000km away, in order to be here for as long as South Africa needs them.

These are the 400 doctors of the Henry Reeve Cuban Medical Brigade whom the Cabinet has agreed to nominate for the Nobel Peace Prize this year.

Of course, there are those who have criticised the recognition and played politics with it. What is certain is that they do not fully appreciate what these Samaritans from distant shores have sacrificed to be here, the risk they are putting their own lives in every day, and how much good our country has benefited from their presence. Every South African should be hailing the work the Cuban doctors have been doing over the past nine months and thanking them for their tremendous contribution to our fight against the coronavirus.

Recognising the selflessness of the Cuban doctors in no way takes away from the sterling and tireless work of our health-care professionals whom the Cuban doctors have worked alongside, and who are our national heroes in one of the greatest battles South Africa has fought in its democracy. Every country has their own incredibly dedicated health-care workers who put their lives in harm’s way daily in order to save the lives of their compatriots.

What is rare about the Henry Reeve Brigade is that the young doctors, most of them around the age of 43 or younger, have dedicated their lives to saving people caught in the most deadly pandemics and health emergencies across the world. Of the Cuban doctors in South Africa, 121 of them have completed missions in 32 countries, including in grave epidemics, and 16% of them have been on three or more such medical missions.

These are medics with a very special calling and a worldview that is hard to come by. For them, it is all about doing something to help humanity, which is why their former president, Fidel Castro, set up the brigade. They are not “slaves” as some in the right wing media have tried to portray them. They choose to belong to this Medical Brigade and they do get paid for their work with enough to take back home as savings, but they are certainly not making significant money out of attending to the misery of others, and with each passing day they themselves could become victims – of Ebola, Zika, Dengue or Covid-19.

When the Henry Reeve Brigade arrived in South Africa on Freedom Day last year, I did a lengthy interview with one of their young doctors, Dr Hernan Zaldivar, who was to be deployed in KwaZulu-Natal in an impoverished area where most South African doctors would not choose to work.

What amazes me is that nine months after his initial deployment, he is no less full of enthusiasm, dedication and love for the work he is doing, despite the fact that he has been living through one of the darkest periods when, at the peak of this virus, his rural hospital was seeing one or two of their patients dying daily. One would have expected that nine months of such trauma would take its toll on someone and he would be angling to get back to his wife and two children of four and seven years old in Cuba, but he says he will stay for as long as this country needs him.

“My reward is to see the smile on my patient’s face as they walk out of the hospital having recovered from the virus when they were sure they would die. One woman was severely ill and, for 20 days, we spent long hours treating her, attending to her every need and telling her she would make it.

South Africa’s President honors Cuban doctors.

Tags

#COVID-19 pandemic., #Cuba, #Cuba Saves, #Solidarity and humanity., #South Africa, #the Henry Reeve International Contingent of Doctors

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday highlighted the selfless and unwavering support of the government and people of Cuba to his country, particularly in the field of public health.

 

He addressed the nation on TV to discuss the adjustment of the measures to prevent and fight against Covid-19, the South African president emphasized Cuba’s contribution in health.

True to its history, the president recalled in his speech, that Cuba has demonstrated its solidarity with the most affected countries, and has sent over 3,700 Cubans across the world to help in the fight against Covid-19.

In recognition of such effort, Ramaphosa revealed, the South African Cabinet agreed to prepare a proposal for the Henry Reeve International Contingent of Doctors Specialized in Disaster Situations and Serious Epidemics for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize.

In Africa alone, he pointed out when arguing the proposal, by the end of November 2020, the Cuban Medical Brigade had treated over 38,000 people.

Cuba seeks to protect population against Covid-19.

Tags

# Abdala (CIGB-66), # Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, # Mambisa (CIGB-669), #COVID-19 pandemic., #Cuba, #Cuba Saves

Cuban scientists and health personnel are currently making progress in clinical trials of anti-Covid-19 vaccine candidates developed in this country with the aim of protecting the entire population.

 

Vaccine candidate Soberana 01 is going through clinical Phase I trial in convalescent patients who had mild symptoms, those who were asymptomatic or had positive test results.

The trial began on January 9 with the participation of 30 volunteers aged 19 to 59, who were in contact with the virus and currently have a negative PCR test.

These patients received a single dose of the vaccine on January 16 and from that moment, they maintain a strict monitoring in consultations and with the scientists.

The aim is to stimulate the protective levels of neutralizing antibodies and protect them against possible reinfection, Dr. Arturo Chang explained. Dr. Chang is a specialist in Comprehensive General Medicine at the Institute of Hematology and Immunology, the center where the trial is being developed.