Cuban scientists said on Wednesday that the Caribbean did not refuse to participate in the COVAD mechanism although it chose to develop its vaccine instead. This, as the scientists sent a letter to the U.S. president pointing why Biden's comments that Cuba is "a failed state" were false.
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'In addition to the fact that the decision was to design our programs with the available economic resources and despite the intensification of United States blockade, Cuba does not belong to Covax either, since it is not among the 92 low and medium-income economies that meet the requirements to receive support from the anticipated market commitment,' the director of biomedical research at the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center (CIGB), Dr. Gerardo Guillen said.
#Cuba no se ha rehusado a recibir vacunas del Covax; pero no clasifica en la lista de 92 naciones desfavorecidas que recibirán los inmunógenos gratis. Cuba creó una estrategia de producción de candidatos vacunales y #vacunas, desde el inicio de la pandemia. pic.twitter.com/oxvcrkYZFH
— CIGBCuba (@CIGBCuba) August 11, 2021
The initiative created by the World Health Organization (WHO) aims to guarantee equal distribution of vaccines but thus far it has only been able to send shots to 15.7 percent of the world population, while Cuba has managed to complete the immunization of 25 percent of its 11 million people.
Although the production of medicines in Cuba is currently enduring a crisis induced by the U.S. blockade, the country continues its immunization plan now extended to minors and pregnant women.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | Cuba begins the vaccination process in at-risk groups. This week Cuba began vaccinating lactating and pregnant women as part of the expansion of the process in the country. pic.twitter.com/5PbUgZLBSY
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) July 29, 2021