HCMC – The Vietnamese Ministry of Health on June 16 worked with the Cuban Ministry of Public Health and other Cuban agencies on the supply of Cuba’s Covid-19 vaccine, called Abdala, and the transfer of the vaccine production technology.
A representative of the Cuban side said the vaccine had undergone three phases of clinical trials. It was tested on 123 people in the first phase, 660 people in the second phase and 48,000 people in the third phase. The trial proved that the vaccine could prevent coronavirus variants, including those from South Africa and Brazil, the local media reported.
Cuban Minister of Public Health José Angel Portal Miranda said Cuba could produce 100 million Abdala doses but needs only 30 million doses per year. Therefore, Cuba is willing to transfer the vaccine production technology to Vietnam and build two more factories.
According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, Abdala is produced using technology similar to that used in the research and production of Vietnam’s Nano Covax Covid-19 vaccine.
The ministry has conducted hundreds of negotiations to buy Covid-19 vaccines but the results remain modest. Vietnam has received nearly four million Covid-19 vaccine doses, well below the local demand.
People need to take three Abdala injections 14 days apart. The vaccine must be stored at two to eight degrees Celsius and has only been used in Cuba.
Vietnam is also conducting human trials for two Covid-19 vaccines.
