{"id":244636,"date":"2021-10-11T13:24:09","date_gmt":"2021-10-11T17:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=244636"},"modified":"2021-10-11T13:24:09","modified_gmt":"2021-10-11T17:24:09","slug":"covid-19-vaccination-in-cuba-realities-and-chiaroscuros","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/coronavirus\/covid-19-vaccination-in-cuba-realities-and-chiaroscuros\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 vaccination in Cuba: realities and chiaroscuros"},"content":{"rendered":"

With less than three months for the end of 2021, the progress of <\/span>COVID-19<\/span><\/a> vaccination in Cuba is undeniable. Although not without difficulties and questions, triumphalism and information gaps, this process, developed almost entirely with the island\u2019s own drugs, is going smoothly today and its effects seem to be already noticeable in the daily statistics of the pandemic on the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

Immunization against COVID-19 took a notable boost last September, after initial forecasts for August fell below expectations. In this \u201cacceleration,\u201d not only a greater availability of doses and the expansion of the process has had an impact on all Cuban municipalities, but also the beginning of <\/span>mass vaccination in pediatric ages<\/span><\/a> \u2015 which in Cuba ranges from two and 18 years of age \u2015, as well as those allergic to thimerosal and convalescents from the disease, after the <\/span>corresponding approvals<\/span><\/a> by the national regulatory authority.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, as of October 7, more than 22 million vaccine doses had been administered on the island, <\/span>according to<\/span><\/a> the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP). In addition, more than 9 million people \u2014 85.8% of the Cuban population \u2014 had received at least the first dose, and more than 6 million \u2014 53.8% \u2014 had completed the vaccination scheme. These same figures represent 98% and 61.4%, respectively, of the \u201cvaccinable population,\u201d a concept currently used by health authorities that excludes from the calculation those people who, for different reasons, cannot be immunized for the time being.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Marcha
COVID-19 vaccination in Cuba until October 7, 2021. Photo: Screenshot of a table from the Cuban Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As for minors, up to October 3, more than 1.731 million children and adolescents had received at least one dose, which was equivalent to 95.8% of those who could be vaccinated, according to data shared by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodr\u00edguez <\/span>on his Twitter profile<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this way, Cuba is on track to meet its goal of immunizing its entire population this year \u2014 at least, the one that is in a position to be vaccinated and also willing to do so \u2014 and to exceed 90% in November, when the authorities plan to increase air operations and international tourism, and \u201cmake more flexible\u201d sanitary protocols at the border. In addition, these figures place the island \u2014 which has already begun <\/span>a gradual and differentiated<\/span><\/a> de-escalation in search of economic reactivation \u2014 among the leading nations in the world in various COVID-19 vaccination indicators.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the <\/span>Our World in Data<\/span><\/i> website, which collects <\/span>global immunization statistics<\/span><\/a> based on official data from each country, Cuba is currently at the forefront in terms of the percentage of vaccinated, daily doses administered per 100 people \u2014 where up to October 5 it marched as the leader with 1.37 and reached 2.84 on September 23 \u2014, and in general, throughout the pandemic, as well as the percentage of people who had received at least one dose of an injectable against COVID-19, as evidenced by the graphs we share below.<\/span><\/p>\n