Cuba’s COVID-19 Vaccine is 92% Effective

By Staff, Agencies 

Cuba’s Abdala vaccine is 92% effective against the novel coronavirus, according to a recent analysis of late-stage trials.

BioCubaFarma, the country’s state-run biopharmaceutical company that oversees the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, the maker of the Abdala vaccine, made the announcement on Monday.

In a tweet by BioCubaFarma on Monday, the company said the vaccine “shows an efficacy of 92.28 percent in its three-dose scheme." This efficacy rate falls well above the World Health Organization’s 50% efficacy threshold for COVID-19 vaccines to provide protection against SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19.

Days before the Abdala findings were publicized, Cuba also stated the Finlay Institute’s Soberana 2 shot was 62% effective with only two out of three doses.

Cuba is currently testing five COVID-9 vaccine candidates, including Abdala and Soberana 2. Both Abdala and Soberana 2 are expected to receive emergency authorization for use by Cuban regulators in the coming weeks.

The nation decided against importing COVID-19 vaccines from other countries and instead opted to rely on its own scientists for vaccine development.

So far, several countries have shown an interest in purchasing Cuba’s vaccines, including Argentina, Jamaica, Mexico, Vietnam and Venezuela.

Authorities in Cuba have begun administering the investigational Abdala and Soberana 2 vaccines in a group as part of intervention studies, with hopes that doing so will mitigate viral spread across the population. Approximately 1 million of Cuba’s residents have been fully vaccinated.