Cuba launches commercial exports of COVID-19 vaccines

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ
Associated Press

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba has begun commercial exports of its homegrown COVID-19 vaccines, sending shipments of the three-dose Abdala vaccine to Vietnam and Venezuela. President Miguel Díaz-Canel announced the arrival in Vietnam on his Twitter feed and official media said Sunay the shipment included 900,000 doses purchased by Hanoi and 150,000 more donated by Cuba. Cuba also announced that initial shipments of the Abdala shots were sent to Venezuela over the weekend. That country’ earlier said it had agreed to buy $12 million worth of the Cuban vaccine, though officials have declined to say how many doses were involved. Another Cuban-developed COVID-19 vaccine is being produced in Iran.