Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said on Thursday that the South American country will begin developing the Abdala vaccine in collaboration with Cuba in January 2022 to combat the Covid-19 epidemic.

"As of January 2022, Venezuela will start production of the Abdala vaccine in cooperation with the Republic of Cuba (...) its production will be carried out in a public plant and the production projection is in the planning phase", teleSUR English quoted the President. 

Venezuela has managed to vaccinate 56 percent of its population as a result of cooperation agreements with Cuba and sister countries. Maduro said, "By October 31, we must achieve the goal of 70% of those vaccinated against Covid-19."

"The Abdala vaccine is already being applied in Venezuela. In the next few days, we are going to receive 16 million Abdala vaccines (...) Next Monday, we begin to vaccinate children over 12 years of age and older; we have discussed all these issues with Cuba. We have a goal of vaccinating 95 percent of the population by December 31", Maduro added.

In the framework of the meeting held with the Cuban Deputy Prime Minister, Ricardo Cabrisas, the Venezuelan President reiterated the solidification of relations with Havana, "we are more united than before, working on plans to develop jointly to achieve the satisfaction of our peoples in the Bolivarian concept, in the maximum possible happiness," he added.

 

-with teleSUR ENGLISH