Beyond the concert of solidarity or political affinities, Cuban scientific prestige, especially with vaccines against Covid-19, is highlighted today in Spain.

This was the subject of a conversation with Prensa Latina by researcher Belinda Sánchez, a scientist at the Center for Molecular Immunology (CIM) and developer of the Cuban vaccine Soberana.

«Currently, Soberana 02 and Soberana Plus have emergency authorization by the regulatory agencies and are used in a scheme of two immunizations plus a third booster; and also Soberana Plus for emergency use in the treatment of convalescents,» Sanchez explained.

In that line, she recalled that the entire Cuban population has been vaccinated and a second booster is applied for people over 50 years of age and more exposed personnel, such as doctors and scientists.

The specialist, when asked by Prensa Latina, explained that the Cuban serums are in the process of final registration and presentation of dossiers to the World Health Organization (WHO), something that Abdala has already done and Soberana expects to complete before the end of the year.

Regarding the myth that a so-called Third World country like Cuba could not produce a vaccine in the face of the international crisis unleashed by the pandemic, Belinda Sánchez gave as an example the case of the collaboration with Italy.

«Thanks to our friendship with the Italians and because of excellent existing scientific ties (a part of the Sovereign has had an Italian protagonist), we approached when we saw that there was a crisis with Italian children,» she commented.

We even saw that the Omicron wave was very different in Cuba, and the key could be whether or not children were vaccinated. We then faced obstacles in Italy because we did not have the authorization of the WHO; that was when a clinical trial called Soberana Plus Turin was born, she added.

When elaborating on the subject, the CIM researcher pointed out that 30 Italians, who had been convalescing from Covid-19 or had other vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna), went to Havana and received the Cuban serum inoculation.

«They were in Cuba for a week and 28 days later they had blood extractions for immunological tests, some in Italy and others in Cuba. And it was demonstrated that Soberana Plus can serve as a universal booster, it is a very safe vaccine, the Italians reacted perfectly well and all this is reflected in palpable scientific results».

To another question from Prensa Latina, about the eventual future course of the vaccines, Sánchez said that the virus has been mutating, especially since Omicron, so we will probably continue transmitting the virus, but without more lethal variants.

She admitted that the behavior of the disease is different in different places, for which reason she valued prudence as the best measure at this time, when she believes that the time has not yet come to put vaccines to rest.

Invited to the 16th National Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba in Spain, Belinda Sanchez at the same time pondered the agreement with the Roswell Park Cancer Research Center, in Buffalo, USA, related to the Cuban vaccine against a specific type of lung cancer.