Photo by: Anadolu Agency
Cuba has a dream -- to create such an efficient and large quantity of a vaccine that will not only allow for everyone on the island to be vaccinated, but anyone who chooses to enter the island will also have the option to get vaccinated as well. Sounds ambitious, right? It’s actually not - in fact, the country is already on the right track. Despite the fact that Cuba has experienced many hardships in the past decade, the country is doing relatively well compared to other Latin American countries. They are not suffering from any widespread hunger, they are not out of hospital beds and vaccines for the pandemic, and they have managed to contain the pandemic very effectively, far better than other countries such as the United States. In fact, Cuba is on track to have all of their citizens of age vaccinated by the fall. According to Democracy Now, “Since last year, approximately 440 Cubans have died from COVID-19, giving Cuba one of the lowest death rates per capita in the world.” For decades, Cuba has prioritized the pharmaceutical and medical system. One of the primary reasons as to why is because the US embargo has made it difficult for Cuba to import equipment and raw materials from other countries. In addition, Cuba’s universal healthcare system has kept the country protected from COVID-19. Now, the country has created not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, but 5 vaccines that are waiting on approval!
Cuba first started investing in medicine in the 1980s. They made a huge investment in biotechnology as well as a free healthcare system, and this combination allowed for the biotech products to be used efficiently in healthcare for decades to come. In the past, Cuba has developed the world’s first meningitis B vaccine as well as extremely efficient cancer drugs that are now being used worldwide. Cuba’s healthcare system is one to compare to the United States, as it is universal to all citizens in the country, regardless of age, disease, income, etc. Because Cuba knows everyone has access to this healthcare, they are not expecting people to come to them, they are looking for the people and any way they can improve their lives, and ultimately try their best in every aspect of healthcare to meet the needs of their citizens. Journalist Reed Lindsay shares her take on Cuba’s unique situation - “And living here in Cuba, you know, my doctor is just a block or two away. If I have any problem, I walk down there. It’s free. I don’t have to show any papers. And that’s what it’s like for healthcare here. It can be a little shocking not having to go in and fill out forms and showing your insurance and anything.” Without this successful industry that the country has sustained for the past 35 years, it would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible, for Cuba to develop a vaccine.
Cuba’s first COVID-19 case was recorded on March 11, 2020, and from there, their medicine development company BioCubaFarma took action. On August 13, the company got approval to start a Phase 1 clinical trial with the first vaccine candidate. Currently, Cuba has 5 vaccine candidates in the clinical department, and 2 are already in Phase 3 clinical trials. “All of these candidate vaccines use as anti the receptor-binding domain of the S5 protein, which binds to the surface receptor, so this anti is expressed in different technology platforms. Three of the vaccines use the recombinant protein produced in mammalian cells, and the other two in geese.” says Dr Rolando Perez Rodriguez, head of BioCubaFarma. These vaccines have gone so far through clinical development due to the fact that the country has lots of experience with these technologies. The results of this vaccine will be evaluated in June, and if proven efficient, the country will receive an authorization for emergency use from the Cuban agency, and from there they can start a massive immunization program. Risk groups will be prioritized, such as medical doctors, nurses, and employees, and the vaccines will be tested on over 44,000 volunteers. The future of Cuba looks bright- with their strong healthcare system and advanced biotech industry, Cubans are looking towards a safe and Covid-free life relatively soon.
Written By: Katrina Gillen
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