The second stage of the anti-pneumococcal vaccination strategy, intended to strengthen the health of children born in 2022 -two years old onward-, is developed in Las Tunas, which involves a population of 4,873 minors.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- Yahilin Nápoles Novella, head of the Immunization Program in this eastern province, explained that infants are injected with a single dose of the Cuban vaccine Quimi-Vio. She emphasized that the immunogenic is administered first to those two years old and then, to those who are approaching that age. The campaign will run until 31 December.

Nápoles Novella pointed out that the certified vaccination centers in the 14 health areas of the province remain active to guarantee quality so that, the process can be successfully deployed in the eight municipalities.

“,” developed by the Finlay Vaccine Institute, protects against seven of the most infectious and globally prevalent serotypes of the pneumococcus bacteria. This pathogen causes most pneumonia and bacterial meningitis in children, as well as bloodstream infections, acute otitis media, sinusitis, and bronchitis.

Until 2022, Cuba had not been able to acquire the two commercial vaccines Prevenar 13 and Synflorix, available in the world against pneumococcus because, in addition to the high price, both contain U.S. capital in their manufacture.

With the Quimi-Vio vaccine, the island gained technological sovereignty to combat diseases caused by that bacterium which, according to figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), annually causes around 1.6 million deaths worldwide, including about 800,000 children under 5 years of age, most of them in developing countries.