EDITOR’S NOTE: Yesterday, Sunday 7 March 2021, Jamaica recorded 878 new cases of COVID-19 over the 24-hour period: bringing its total to 26,904 with 454 deaths. Less than 400 kilometers (240 miles) away, Cuba, with approximately four times the population of Jamaica, recorded 777 new cases over the 24-hour period on Thursday 4 March 2021: bringing its total to 54,085 with 341 deaths.
In this issue, #HealthCaribbean focuses on Cuba. Our feature story, taken from the English version of TeleSUR, announces Cuba’s fifth COVID-19 vaccine candidate — Soberana01A. Meanwhile, the Cuba Business Report announces their Soberana 02 vaccine has entered phase III clinical trials; and another TeleSUR article indicates the plan is to produce One Million doses of Soberana 02 by late April.
During the pandemic, the Cuba News Agency also reports that the province of Camaguey (east of the country) continued its kidney transplant program. Cuba has indeed a remarkable reputation in healthcare, even without considering their Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade, which has travelled the world assisting other nations in their fight against COVID-19.
HealthCaribbean Weekday ed. 2021-03-15
