HAVANA.- Cuban foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, highlighted today the role of biotechnology in the country, which guarantees health and saves lives despite the permanent choking of the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States.

On Twitter, Rodriguez Parrilla affirmed that with the production of 100 million doses of the Soberana 02 vaccine, the Cuban population will be immunized and will support the confrontation of COVID-19 in the world.

This week, the general director of the Finlay Vaccine Institute (IFV), Vicente Verez Bencomo, announced that Cuba is creating the capacity to produce the injectable drug, in order to immunize the entire population, free of charge, during 2021.

The 100 million doses to be produced in the country will also be destined to other nations interested in acquiring it, among them Vietnam, Iran, Venezuela, Pakistan and India, the executive added.

Early this week, the extended Phase II clinical trial of Soberana 02 began, starting with 900 people between ages 19 and 80, followed by new tests with the pediatric population.

The third phase is expected to include 150,000 vulnerable people and residents of high-risk areas.

Cuba is carrying out clinical trials of three other vaccine candidates which are in different phases: Soberana 01, also from IFV, and Mambisa and Abdala, in charge of the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.