HAVANA, Cuba, (Telesur) – Cuban adolescents taking part in the clinical study of the Soberana 02 COVID-19 vaccine will receive a third injection with the Soberana Plus vaccine.
With this third dose, 25 minors between the ages of 13 and 18 will complete their immunization. The results of this clinical trial will be evaluated by Cuban scientists to confirm the pediatric efficacy of the vaccination scheme.
Previously, the Finlay Institute for Vaccines (IFV) found that Soberana 02 and Soberana Plus showed 91 percent efficacy in clinical trials in the adult population.
In the past week, health authorities provided the second dose to over 100 adolescents who took part in the second stage of the Soberana Pediatric clinical studies. Minors from three to eleven years old, who took part in the first stage of clinical studies, were also inoculated.
The inclusion of under-12-year-old children in clinical trials was carried out after verifying the safety of the Soberana 02 first injection on adolescents, all of whom had a continuous medical follow-up for up to a week after being immunized.
Finlay Institute research director Dagmar Garcia said that the first pediatric clinical research data will be available in late August, which will allow mass vaccination of this age group to be planned later.
Since March 2020, Cuban authorities have confirmed over 72,000 COVID-19 cases in minors. In recent weeks, a daily average of 1,500 new infections has been registered.