Cuba has become the first country in the world to vaccinate children from the age of two against Covid-19. However the home-grown jabs used for vaccinating the toddlers are not recognized by the World Health Organization.
First developed in Latin America, these vaccines have not undergone international, scientific peer review. They are based on recombinant protein technology — the same used by the United States’ Novavax and France’s Sanofi jabs also awaiting WHO approval.
The communist island aims to vaccinate all its children before reopening schools that have been closed for the most part since March 2020.
The new school year started on Monday. But as most Cuban homes do not have internet access, school started from home via television programs.
Having completed clinical trials on minors with its Abdala and Soberana vaccines, Cuba kicked off its inoculation campaign for children on Friday, starting with those 12 and older.
On Monday, it started distributing jabs in the 2-11 age group in the central province of Cienfuegos.
Several other countries in the world are vaccinating children from the age of 12, while some are conducting trials in younger kids.
Countries such as China, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela have announced that they plan to vaccinate younger children, but Cuba is the first to do so.
Chile on the other hand has approved the Chinese Sinovac vaccines for children between six and 12.
