In a move that consolidates two decades of fraternal cooperation, Cuba's Finlay Vaccine Institute (IFV) and the Vietnamese vaccine and biological products company Vabiotech yesterday signed the technology transfer agreement for the final stages of production of the VA-MENGOC-BC vaccine.

According to IFV director Yury Valdés Balbín, in a post on his Facebook account, this agreement, described as the most important and complex technical challenge undertaken jointly, embodies the transformative power of science when built on solidarity between nations.

He stated that only shared scientific and technological capabilities and mutual trust forged over more than 20 years of fruitful work made this milestone possible. The signing is a tangible demonstration that there is an alternative to the force, economic blockades, and wars that hegemonic powers seek to impose.

Valdés Balbín stated that, for Cuba, this achievement reaffirms science as the most effective shield against the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States, while projecting a national innovation that is capable of overcoming global barriers and establishing alliances based on respect.

For Vietnam, the agreement strengthens its self-sufficiency in public health, boosts the development of its national biotechnology industry, generates highly skilled employment, and promotes prosperity in line with its vision of independent and sovereign development. 
Photo: AccountX from the Finlay Vaccine Institute