Covid-19: in Cuba, the explosion of contaminations calls into question the effectiveness of the local vaccine
A woman receives a dose of the anti-Covid Abdala vaccine, developed in Cuba, at a vaccination center in Havana on August 2, 2021. REUTERS - ALEXANDRE MENEGHINI
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
In Cuba, the situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic is becoming dramatic with an explosion in the number of cases recently, despite the vaccination campaign launched by the authorities with the two vaccines developed on the island.
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The situation has been tense for months in Cuba, where the medical system seems totally overwhelmed by the influx of new cases of Covid-19.
A situation now similar to what other Latin American countries have experienced: more space in morgues and cemeteries and no longer enough coffins in some provinces to bury the victims.
A situation denounced by many doctors and which even, a rare thing, was recognized by the authorities when a few weeks ago the island was facing an oxygen shortage.
This deterioration would be caused by the arrival of the Delta variant, while Cuba had until then been relatively untouched by the coronavirus pandemic.
Due to a lack of space in hospitals, all patients can no longer be taken care of;
they are now placed in quarantine and "treated" at home.
Vaccination management criticized
The means are lacking, drugs and raw materials to manufacture it too, the fault among other things of the
American embargo
, which gives rise to fear the worst.
Because at present, only more than 30% of the population is vaccinated.
A figure far insufficient to consider an improvement in the situation.
Especially since, for a few days now, the population has also started to doubt the effectiveness of the Cuban vaccine.
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Read also: Covid-19: Cuba speeds up vaccination despite the lack of syringes
Two vaccines,
Abdala and Soberana
, have been developed on the island, but faced with the deterioration of the health situation, more and more voices are raised to criticize the management of the authorities who did not wish to import a developed vaccine. abroad, although since last week the Chinese vaccine Sinopharm has been used in the central province of Cienfuegos.
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Read also: Faced with an upsurge in the epidemic, Cuba is counting on international aid
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