Venezuela receives first shipment of Cuban coronavirus vaccine

CARACAS - Venezuela received its first shipment of doses of leftist ally Cuba's Abdala coronavirus vaccine on Thursday, the South American country's vice president said, while slamming wealthy countries for "sabotaging" the COVAX vaccine-sharing scheme. Authorities did not specify how many doses had arrived from Cuba, but did say that Venezuela had signed a contract to purchase 12 million doses of the shot. Cuba said earlier this week that the three-shot Abdala vaccine had proved 92.28% effective in last-stage clinical trials.

"This is true international cooperation, the brotherhood and friendship that we must demonstrate and be an example for other governments," Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said in a state television address. Venezuela since February has received some 3.5 million doses of Russian and Chinese vaccines for its population of some 28 million. Doctors and vaccine recipients have criticized the socialist government's vaccination rollout as slow and confusing.