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Dr Stéphanie Panichelli-Batalla, Head of the School for Cross-faculty Studies, was recently interviewed for an article published in the Belgian newspaper, De Standaard, to discuss the Cuban COVID-19 vaccine, Soberana-2.

Soberana-2 has been developed by Cuban researchers and has now entered Phase III of trials. Cuba is the only Latin American country to have engaged with the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

In the article, Stéphanie comments on the determination of Cuba to develop its own vaccines and gain approval from the World Health Organization. We also hear from Stéphanie on the planned exportation of Cuban vaccines as an opportunity to save the struggling Cuban economy, while filling the gap created by developed countries in their export of the vaccine to countries of the Global South.