Vaccine success will be rare boon for Havana

Significance

Effectiveness rates from phase III trials have been excellent, prompting sceptics to question the trustworthiness of the data. The country’s ongoing vaccination campaign nevertheless clearly demonstrates that the vaccines work -- with more than 6.5 million doses administered, according to the government, predominantly in the city of Havana, infection rates there have halved, while they are surging elsewhere on the island.

Impacts

• There will be little room for Havana to pursue vaccine diplomacy until the island's population has been immunised.
• The WHO’s long tradition of cooperating with Cuban vaccine centres suggests international approval will be swift.
• Having become the first country to give emergency authorisation to Cuba’s Soberana 02 vaccine, Iran looks set to begin rolling it out.