Cuba donates COVID-19 vaccines to Syria

Cuba on Friday donated almost a quarter of a million coronavirus vaccine doses to Syria. The consignment was handed over at a ceremony in Havana, attended by Cuba's vice-minister for foreign trade, Ana Teresita González, and Syria's ambassador to Cuba, Idris Mayya. The vaccines are the Soberana 02, Soberana Plus, and Abdala, all developed and manufactured by Cuban scientists.

They're not on the World Health Organisation's emergency list, but several countries - including Venezuela, Nicaragua, Vietnam and Iran - have authorised their use. In recent weeks, Cuban authorities have extended a booster vaccine dose to all the population, and two months ago they reopened international flights to foreign tourism, one of the main drivers of the Cuban economy.