June 28, 2021: As part of its ambitious efforts to make vaccines self-sufficient, Cuba has named its home groan jab after a famous dramatic verse by freedom fighter and national icon Jose Marti.
In the verse, the young hero, Abdullah, full of enthusiasm for the beloved homeland, goes to war to defend the homeland, no matter how strong and powerful the enemy may be. To many Cubans, this is the perfect name for the first COVID-19 vaccine to be developed in Latin America. And the perfect imagery for the story of a tiny island of 11 million inhabitants eager to show it can’t be broken by a deadly virus and a 60-year economic blockade by the United States, and a country that boasts several brilliant scientists of its own.
One of them is Gerardo Enrique Guillen Nieto, director of biomedical research at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) in Havana where Abdala was developed.
Last Sunday on Father’s Day, Cuban television ran a commercial featuring the 58-year-old Guillen Nieto. Accompanied by melodramatic music, it opened with the scientist in his clinic while his son talked off camera about how his father works tirelessly for his family and the people.
“We have worked full time since the beginning of the pandemic, every Saturday, every Sunday, from early in the morning until late at night, without even a moment’s rest,” the highly respected scientist said in the clip. “And we are very euphoric because the results have exceeded all our expectations. We knew the vaccine was very good, but not even I expected such a result.”
According to the state-run Biotech Corporation, run by Bio Cuba Firma, Abdala has proved approximately 92.28% effective against COVID-19 in cloud trials, making it one of the most effective vaccines like Biotech-Pfizer and Modern. The announcement of the impressive results drew applause in the CIGB auditorium this week.
Since then, Guillen Nieto has been receiving interview requests. The whole world wants to know Abdala’s formula for success. The Cuban vaccine is neither a vector vaccine nor does it work with mRNA technology. Instead, it is a so-called protein vaccine. This means that it contains a portion of the spike protein that the virus uses to bind human cells. It receives the virus’s own spike protein, which triggers an immune response. Scientists are using yeast as a receptor binding domain.
The government vaccination program was rolled out in mid-May with Abdala and the second homegrown vaccine, Soberana 2, even before the completion of the third phase of clinical trials. These are the first vaccines on the island since Cuba declined importing any shots from Russia or China. Cuba has also decided against joining the UN-backed COVAX initiative, a global project aimed at getting COVID-19 shots to countries regardless of their wealth.
“We know that in the end we always have to rely on ourselves, on our own strengths and abilities,” said Guillen Nieto, alluding to the political isolation caused by the US embargo. “The result is a health care system that is not only free of cost but also centrally controlled, and that has perfected the ability to respond quickly to disasters, be it with clinical trials, with vaccination campaigns or even the production of a vaccine.”
According to Guillen Nieto, 2.2 million Cubans have already received their first vaccination, 1.7 million their second and 900,000 the third dose. Abdala is administered in three doses, with two weeks between each vaccination. Based on the government’s ambitious plans, 70% of country’s population should receive their shots by August.
It is a race against time as the number of new infections on the Caribbean island is increasing by more than 2,000 a day. COVID-19 has killed at least 1,200 people in Cuba. Galen Neto is relying on a vaccination campaign to take decisive advantage in all other countries of the world in the fight against the virus. “There is an unprecedented level of confidence in the Cuban health system,” he said. “For example, when it comes to clinical trials, we never bother looking for volunteers.” In Cuba, people are desperate to get vaccinated against polio. No one here will think about not getting vaccinated because everyone knows what immunizations are like. “
An independent panel of experts in Havana will examine the Abdullah vaccine, and emergency approval is expected in the next two weeks. Thereafter, Cuba may also apply to the World Health Organization (WHO) for approval of Abdala for international use. Bolivia, Jamaica, Venezuela, Argentina and Mexico have already shown interest.
But is Abdala really the miracle vaccine that the number promises? Jose Moya is probably the best man to guess. The Peruvian doctor started 30 years ago as an epidemiologist in his hometown of Ayacho, and then worked for Doctors Without Borders in Guatemala, Mozambique and Nigeria. For the past two years, Moya has represented the PHO (Pan American Health Organization) in Cuba, a regional WHO organization with 27 country offices. And, he trusts Cuban personalities.
“The CIGB Research Institute has 30 years of experience in vaccine research. I am confident in the results that have been published. These are serious studies involving science researchers and institutions,” Moya said. Moya said the best evidence of this is that 80% of all Cuban vaccines are manufactured in the country. He was not surprised by Abdullah’s high efficiency, saying it was just the logical conclusion of a healthcare system that has been consistently performing well for decades. “Scientists have already published results that have shown a good response to antibody production,” he said.
However, Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel did not want to consider scientific studies for the new vaccine. To this end, the country’s drive to implement native solutions instead of importing foreign vaccines is a victory for Cuba’s biotech industry. “This achievement can be compared to the greatness of our sacrifices. It is an example of the pride with which a country treats its pharmaceutical industry, which has been living under US economic sanctions since 1962,” he said.
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