Prognosis

Venezuela Deploys Cuban Homemade Vaccines as WHO Urges Caution

Three-shot Abdala vaccine used for first time outside Cuba
No lines for the Cuban shot at Caracas military base

Patients wait in line beneath Venezuelan and Cuban flags to receive the Cuban Abdala Covid-19 vaccine in Caracas on July 1.Photographer: Gaby Oraa/Bloomberg

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By Nicolle Yapur

July 2, 2021 at 3:41 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Venezuela’s vaccination sites are notorious for their endless lines and general lack of information on who qualifies. Except if you are lining up for the Cuban-made shot.

There are no lists or government text messages required at the two vaccinations sites activated this week in Caracas offering the Abdala vaccine, both located in a residential area inside a large military base called Fuerte Tiuna. Only the patient’s ID and a signed consent form is needed. The longest part of the process is a 30-minute wait to monitor for side effects afterwards. Some are nervous, and with good reason.