Cuba continues support of Barbados’ COVID-19 fight

There is a possibility that Barbados will be able to access COVID-19 vaccine from Cuba when it becomes available later this year.

This suggestion has come from Cuban Ambassador to Barbados Sergio de Jesús Jorge Pastrana, who told Barbados TODAY that the Spanish-speaking country continued to provide Bridgetown with vital medication to treat COVID-19 patients.

Cuba has been developing four COVID-19 vaccines, two of which officials are expecting to get approvals for from the World Health Organization (WHO) before the end of this year.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY on Thursday, Pastrana said officials were hoping to wrap up large-scale human trials of at least one of the vaccines by the end of June.

Cuba has signed an accord with the Islamic Republic of Iran to carry out the large-scale trials needed to complete the final stage before approval. Both allies have been under heavy US sanctions, forcing them to be more self-reliant.

“This is the scenario now. According to the way this develops, somewhere in Spring, we will have a result of the whole trial (of the Soberana 02), and we will get then, the possibility of the vaccine approved by the World Health Organization

“Once it is approved by the World Health Organization then it will be ready to be applied,” said Pastrana.

When asked if there were any early discussions between the Mia Mottley administration and officials in Havana in an effort to source vaccines, Pastrana said he was not aware of  any discussions at this stage.

However, he said that the development of a vaccine in Cuba would provide an additional avenue for Barbados and other developing countries to access the vital jabs.

“We think it is important for the Caribbean, for Latin America and for the world at large, because we have seen the . . . development and distribution of these first vaccines. So those countries that are not significant in terms of a market, do not have enough money to compete with those rich countries in buying huge amounts like has happened. This is the big problem that the COVAX Facility is facing,” he explained.

Barbados and other Caribbean nations have already signed up to receive varying doses of vaccine through the COVAX Facility, optimistic that the first set of those vaccines would arrive by March.

The Barbados order with the facility would satisfy only 20 per cent of the population.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley has already indicated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continued to work feverishly to get access to vaccines from several suppliers.

In addition to the COVAX Facility, Barbados has so far made contact with India to source vaccines and could also receive some through the African Union.

Reiterating concerns made by Director General of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus about inequitable distribution of the vaccines, Pastrana said “The production by developing countries of vaccines that can be shared is something that I think will be a gift to the world.

“It will not be a gift to everybody because it cost [an] enormous amount of money to produce. So it will have a cost, but of course, the availability of it will be enough to make a difference and that is why Cuba started from the very beginning to try to produce this vaccine as a contribution to the whole effort against the virus,” he explained.

Cuba became the first country in the Caribbean and Latin America, and the 30th globally, to receive authorization to begin clinical trials of its first vaccine against COVID-19 called Soberana 01 (Sovereign) in August last year.

By November, a second vaccine trial was approved by the WHO, the Soberana 02, which is now the most advanced. The other vaccines, which are in very early stages of trial, are the Mambisa CIGB 669, which is to be administered nasally, and the Abdala CIGB 66.

In relation to medication to help treat COVID-19 positive patients, Pastrana said: “We provided a number of products from the pharmaceutical industry to Barbados and it is still open for the provision of more of those.”

Pointing out that there were several medications produced in Cuba for treating COVID-19 patients, he said a number of them have been very useful.

“Even after having suffered the disease and having had treatment, some of the follow up of the severe cases have used some of our pharmaceuticals to improve their quality of recovery,” he said.

Stating that countries were still finding out the impact of the virus on individuals over a long-term, Pastrana said that provided for “continued cooperation” as well.
(marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb)