Clinical Trials of Pneumonia Vaccine in Cuba

The official daily Granma has confirmed that Cuba will begin clinical trials of a new pneumonia vaccine this year.

The vaccine was developed by scientists at Havana's Finlay Institute and the Center for Biomolecular Chemistry, Finlay Director Concepcion Campa was quoted as saying by Granma.

Pneumonia - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention, Complications
Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be caused by a bacteria or a virus. It causes inflammation of the alveoli or the air sacs of the lungs.

Campa is participating in the 16th International Seminar of the Caribbean Medical Association, which began Wednesday in Havana and gathered 200 specialists from various countries.

Campa gave a lecture on the impact on national public health of the more than 10 vaccines manufactured on the island, reported Xinhua.

She headed the scientific team that created the "first and only effective vaccine in the world against meningococcal group B" (vaccine VA-MENGOC-BC), according to the Cuban medical authorities.

Hib Vaccine - Types, Dosage Schedule, Contraindications and Side Effects
The Hib vaccine protects children against infections like meningitis and pneumonia that are caused by the Haemophilus influenzae type b bacterium.

Among the vaccines Cuba produces are one against hepatitis "B", the first therapeutic vaccine to prevent lung cancer, and a pentavalent against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis "B" and the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae type B.

Cuba's biotech industry represents one of the country's main revenue sources, marketing about 38 medications in 40 countries.

AIDS - Initial Theories and Disease Progression-Blood Test-Stages-FAQs
AIDS was first detected in early 1980s, among gays, Haitians and black Africans. HIV is a descendant of a Simian Immunodeficiency Virus.

According to official data, in 2008, the industry registered profits exceeding $350 million, representing some 10 percent of the country's total annual exports.

Source-IANS

Lung Biopsy - Indications - Procedures - Risks - FAQs - Reference
The procedure by which tissue samples are obtained from the lung is known as lung biopsy. The biopsy tissues obtained from the lungs are examined by a pathologist.