Key Takeaways

Cuba on Monday became the first country toadminister COVID-19 shotsto children as young as two years old.

The country is using its own vaccine, Soberana 2, which claims to be 90% efficacious when combined with a booster called Soberana Plus. Data on Cuba’s vaccines has not been published in peer-reviewed journals, but local health authorities have authorized them for emergency use, according to Reuters.

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The CECMED authorized the vaccine for people ages 2 to 18 after Phase I and II clinical trials found that the vaccine was “well tolerated” in children and adolescents aged between 3 and 18.

Flores sees the decision as a result of three factors: Cuba’s rising infection rates, dipping economy, and the race to get children back in school.

Since the start of the pandemic, Cuba has recorded over 700,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 5,881 related deaths, according to theWHO. Both cases and deaths have sharply risen this summer.

Economically, in addition to U.S. sanctions, Cuba’s tourism industry has suffered from pandemic travel restrictions.

“They’re really drowning in infections, hospitalizations, and they’re choking economically,” Flores says. “They want to get the kids back to school and they want to get their economy open.”

She adds that ensuring vaccines are safe and effective for designated age groups is necessary in reopening Cuba’s schools and economy. Americans will need to wait longer for the COVID-19 vaccines to be authorized for younger children, but should feel a sense of comfort knowing that the process is under rigorous review, she says.

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“We would have overcome a lot of that, had we had a good system of language access, health literacy access, and just general health access,” Flores says, who is bilingual in English and Spanish. “We’re learning a lot.”

It’s hard to compare the situation in the U.S. to that in Cuba, where parents may not have the option to be vaccine hesitant, she adds. She would not want the U.S. to follow Cuba’s example of a rushed approval, but says it’s important to follow the data and stay informed on the country’s situation.

“It’s a little dicey,” Flores says. “I’m gonna watch it. Maybe we’ll learn something from them.”

For now, U.S. parents can look to local and national health organizations for information on when their children can receive a vaccine.

What This Means For YouCurrently, COVID-19 vaccines are only authorized for people aged 12 and above in the U.S, but clinical trials are underway to see how they will affect younger populations.

What This Means For You

Currently, COVID-19 vaccines are only authorized for people aged 12 and above in the U.S, but clinical trials are underway to see how they will affect younger populations.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

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