Work advances on COVID-19 vaccine in Cuba
Friday, February 26, 2021
|
KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says work is advanced on the development of a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine in Cuba.
Speaking during PAHO's COVID-19 digital briefing on February 24, PAHO Assistant Director, Dr Jarbas Barbosa, said information received indicates that the vaccine's development will shortly enter the third and final stage of clinical trials.
He cautioned, however, that no timeline could be determined for the completion of the process, “as the [third] phase takes the longest.”
The Cuban vaccine producer joins several others, whose candidates are at various stages of development and analysis.
Among them are: the Moderna vaccine, which Dr Barbosa indicated is in the final stages of analysis; the Sinopharm vaccine, for which the producer has requested evaluation; and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine which, he pointed out, is “also being assessed.”
The Pfizer vaccine and both AstraZeneca vaccines, which are produced in India and South Korea, are the candidates already approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Dr Barbosa said it is imperative for PAHO member countries to be involved in the development and production of vaccines, medicines and other inputs that can potentially control the pandemic across the region, and beyond.
“It is very important to have many producers so that they can provide the vaccines that the countries need. We believe that the more vaccines [that] can be developed, the better it will be to achieve this and for them to participate in the COVAX Facility,” the Assistant Director further argued.
The WHO COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility is designed to accelerate equitable access by countries globally to appropriate, safe and efficacious vaccines.
Dr Barbosa said that while all vaccine producers are welcome to join the Facility, “they all need to comply with the certification criteria as well as safety and efficacy [protocols]”.
Now you can read the Jamaica Observer ePaper anytime, anywhere. The Jamaica Observer ePaper is available to you at home or at work, and is the same edition as the printed copy available at https://bit.ly/epaper-login
ADVERTISEMENT
POST A COMMENT
HOUSE RULES
- We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper; email addresses will not be published.
- Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
- We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
- Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
- Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
- If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
- Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy