The health intervention process with the vaccine candidate Abdala contributes to strengthening the immune system of the more than 2,000 workers at the Roberto Rodríguez Fernández General Teaching Hospital, aimed at caring for suspected and confirmed patients with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

In dialogue with the Ciego de Ávila`s Citizen Portal, Dr. Juan Carlos Villares Vázquez, director of the aforementioned health center, highlighted that the workers have shown great interest in participating in this controlled intervention trial for at-risk personnel, the first stage of which began on May 10 and ended this Friday 14.

The next doses will be applied on May 24th and on June 7. The MINSAP director stressed that only moderate adverse reactions have been recorded to date, consisting of minimal elevations in blood pressure (may not be directly associated with the administration of the drug) and itching in the area of ??the puncture, which confirms the safety and efficacy of the Cuban vaccine preparation.

Doctor of Sciences Jacqueline Díaz Luis, II degree specialist in Immunology and member of the team that directs the controlled health intervention in the Morón`s hospital, pointed out that vaccination has been developed successfully, as a result of a prior organization process, compliance of the indications of the Provincial Vaccination Group and the Vice-Directorate of Investigations, and the cooperation of the staff.

She added that the health workers who participate in this task received training, where good practices were given to join the clinical trial of the phase III of the vaccine candidate Abdala.

Dr. Yudelsy Martín Pardo, II degree specialist in Nephrology, said she felt perfectly fine after receiving the first dose of Abdala; meanwhile, her disciple Rosmery Aragón Madrigal, a second-year resident of the field of medicine itself, recognizes that it is a privilege to be among the first vaccinated people in the province and assumes it, also, in recognition of the effort made by doctors in confronting the disease COVID-19.

“It is an honor to participate in this study to contribute to the development of research in searching of vaccines against Covid-19. This is another way to distinguish the commitment and dedication of the doctors to the confrontation with the disease”, Doctor of Medical Sciences Ángel Lacerda Gallardo, II Degree specialist in Neurosurgery and Honorary Member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, highlighted.

Villares Vázquez insisted that it is committed to complying with the hygienic-sanitary protocols, in combination with the immunization process, as a fundamental strategy to minimize the contagion and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus: "Vaccine preparations cannot constitute a false security mechanism that later creates problems, is something that we constantly emphasize to our staff by demanding that they comply with biosafety measures,” he said.