A medical worker administers a dose of "Abdala", a homemade COVID-19 vaccine, to a resident at a vaccination site in Havana, Cuba, on May 14, 2021. (Photo by Joaquin Hernandez/Xinhua)
Authorities hope to accelerate virus control in Havana by applying the Abdala vaccine, which consists of two doses in 28 days, instead of Soberana-02, which requires three doses in 56 days.
HAVANA, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Cuba's Public Health Ministry began to expand its emergency vaccination plan against COVID-19 on Monday from seven of Havana's municipalities to include other parts of the capital, local authorities confirmed.
The ministry is administering the Abdala vaccine, one of five Cuban vaccine candidates in different stages of development on the island.
Immunization will be extended to the municipalities of Havana Central and Cerro on Tuesday in a gradual process to cover the central and western areas of the city.
Authorities hope to accelerate virus control in Havana by applying the Abdala vaccine, which consists of two doses in 28 days, instead of Soberana-02, which requires three doses in 56 days.
In this way, it is expected that by the end of July, the entire population of 2.2 million people in the capital will be inoculated.
The immunization plan prioritizes people 60 years old and above, followed by people between 40 and 59 years old, then 19 to 39 years old in a staggered manner, so as to avoid crowds at vaccination centers. ■
