Anti-COVID-19 pediatric booster vaccination.

Sofía and Rodrigo's eyes shine, and although could be tears of pain from the needle puncturing their skin, that is not the reason. They feel great joy, and even pride, being among the first children in Las Tunas that received the booster dose of the anti-COVID-19 vaccines. The mother thanks with a post on her Facebook wall; images that show the greatness of the Cuban scientists and the effort of an entire country to maintain the control of this disease.

Like them, just over 46,830 children in Las Tunas, from two to 11 years of age, benefit from a campaign that began on August 8 and will run until the 25th.

Yailín Nápoles Noviella, head of the Vaccination Program in the province, explained that after completing studies on the duration of the immune response in the pediatric population, the country decided to administer the immunogen to this age group.

Here, she said, the vaccine Soberana Plus is applied, but “Abdala” is also available in case it should be necessary.

The process is carried out in each of the 83 popular councils of the territory, in which 154 vaccination points have been set up. “In 28 childcare centers, children from two to six years old are vaccinated; and the infants from seven to 11, in educational centers.

The specialist pointed out that each municipality has planned mobile vaccination clinics if it becomes difficult to open one the schools in the rural area.

“Those children who completed their scheme with the three doses can receive the booster if six months have passed since the primary vaccination. Convalescents must also meet that time since they put on the Soberana Plus vaccine,” she explained.

“Those who became ill after completing their immunization schedule and were confirmed by a positive PCR receive the booster six months after the date of their epidemiological discharge. However, children with a positive antigen test, but without PCR confirmation, receive the dose six months after completing the scheme, like the rest of the pediatric population.

Nápoles Noviella reported that there is a formulation of Soberana Plus without Thimerosal for allergy sufferers, meeting the same criteria previously stated.

Likewise, she clarified, that those infants who have an acute infectious process (otitis, tonsillitis, dengue...), except for COVID-19, can be vaccinated 15 days after the clinical discharge. "If you are due or have received another vaccine from the country's routine vaccination schedule, you must wait at least seven days between them."

Cuban citizen children who are immunized with any of the anti-COVID-19 vaccines administered abroad and have arrived in the country, she commented, receive the booster if six months have elapsed since the last application.

"Those who are in transit through the province, enjoying their vacations, can get immunized at the closest vaccination point," she concluded.