Marc Frank, Nelson Acosta

HAVANA (Reuters – Cuba accelerates its COVID-19 vaccine program. It aims at fully immunizing 90% of the population against coronavirus in December. A goal which has not been reached yet by wealthier countries.

On Thursday, the health ministry announced that over 80% of Cubans’ 11.3 million inhabitants had at least one shot of a 3-dose regimen of Cuban-made vaccines Abdala-2, Soberana-2 and Soberana+.

It said that close to half of all children were fully vaccinated. This is well above the global average 34% according to Our World In Data.

According to the government, Cuba could be the first country in its region to provide its vaccines to its entire population. They are now being administered to children as young at two after testing the vaccines on children. The United States has not yet approved COVID-19 vaccinations for children younger than 12.

Cuba currently trails China which is estimated to have fully inoculated approximately 79% its people with its own vaccines. However, Cuban officials are increasing the rate of vaccination per capita.

“We will be the first in the world to reach everyone with our own vaccines,” Ileana Morales, director of science and innovation at the health ministry, said on state television.

BioCubaFarma, a state developer of vaccines, claimed that its vaccines have a 90% reduction in serious illness and death. Breakthrough infections may also be possible.

However, it has not published any data to support this claim that can be reviewed by the scientific community.

Recently, the World Health Organization launched a process for evaluating all three Cuban vaccinations.

Jose Moya Medina from the Pan American Health Organization, Cuba’s representative said that “it will be an exceptional case in the world.” “I believe Cuba will become an example for other countries as only complete vaccination can prevent the spread of pandemics, and possibly even more deadly forms.

Cuba missed its early vaccination targets – partly due to U.S. sanctions hampering production, the government said – and suffered one of the world’s worst COVID-19 outbreaks https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/coronavirus-surge-pushes-cubas-healthcare-system-brink-2021-08-11 in July and August, fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus.

The government stated this month, however that BioCubaFarma had sufficient shots to fully vaccine the whole population.

PREPARE FOR TOURISM

It boasts beautiful beaches and historic towns. The country is cash strapped, but hopes for success in opening its borders to tourists by November mid-November.

Its vaccination campaign could give it an advantage over other countries in the region – one of the world’s most reliant on tourism – which is struggling with surging cases https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/caribbean-tourism-recovery-punctured-by-new-coronavirus-spike-2021-09-03 in part due to vaccine scepticism and low uptake.

Cuba is already lifting domestic restrictions https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/cuba-starts-reopen-economy-covid-19-vaccine-campaign-races-ahead-2021-09-24 in heavily vaccinated provinces, including Havana, as it tries to revitalize an economy severely battered by the pandemic, U.S. sanctions and domestic inefficiencies.

Many have been forced to suffer severe hardship due to shortages of medicine, food and other consumer goods, as well as pandemic lockdowns that result in layoffs and inflation.

Official data shows that the death rate and cases per 100,000 Havana residents, which is home to around 80%, has fallen by 20% in the past two months, and it’s still well below what they are for the rest.

In 2020, Cuba’s pandemic response outperformed most countries. However, this year the Delta virus swept the country and overwhelmed the well-respected health care system in certain provinces. Cuba once had the highest infection rate per capita in the entire world. In July, there were nearly 10,000 daily cases and 98 deaths.

As of Dec. 31, 2020, the pandemic had reached 11,863 people and caused 146 deaths. These figures soared in this year’s wake, reaching 877 428 cases and 7,436 death as of Wednesday.