Advances in the Cuban project

 

Clinical, epidemiological and laboratory sentinel surveillance of pneumococcal disease and the progress of the Cuban project for a preventive vaccine approaches found space on the eighth Cuban Congress of Microbiology and Parasitology which concludes today in the capital.

Experts pointed out at the symposium dedicated to this subject precisely Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a highly responsible for deadly diseases such as pneumonia and meningitis pathogen; and the leading cause of childhood bacterial infection in the world; condition to which Cuba is no exception.

Granma said Dr. Vicente Verez Bencomo, director of the Center for Biomolecular Chemistry that Cuba has worked for years in the development of a preventive vaccine against the most important serotypes circulating in the world and the country. "From studies about seven of the more than a dozen that cause infections were determined. These components contained in our vaccine, and are developed and passed all phases of laboratory. "

According to the specialist, in 2012 began clinical trials in infants and adults. "In the pediatric population phase one and we are in the second and third stages, with a sample of over a thousand children. For infants we are in another phase one in two children, four and six months, all of which should predict that by the end of 2015 or beginning of 2016 the vaccine must be registered for use.

"We aim to produce the doses needed for the country and conduct a mass immunization campaign for children between one and five years, which would cut the disease. At the same time continue studies in infants and adults, "said Dr. Verez Bencomo.

In that sense the interviewee stressed the importance of epidemiological surveillance network on the pneumococcus, which accompanies the advance of the vaccine, which are now involved numerous Cuban scientific institutions.