|
CUBA
NEWS
Yahoo! 2m224f
Cuban researchers develop synthetic
vaccine against pneumonia, meningitis
HAVANA, 15 (AFP) - Cuban researchers have
produced the first synthetic vaccine against
pneumonia and meningitis, press reports
said.
Vicente Verez, head of the University of
Havana's Antigen Research Center, told the
Cuban press agency AIN the vaccine would
be presented to a biotechnology congress
here November 23-28.
He said the vaccine was designed to be
istered to infants in three doses --
at two, four and six months -- with a booster
at 18 months.
Clinical studies done in Camaguey in central
Cuba showed that more than 99 percent of
babies vaccinated developed antibodies against
the pneumonia and meningitis viruses as
well as other diseases, he said.
Cuban independant journalist freed after
six years in prison
HAVANA, 14 (AFP) - Cuban independant journalist
Bernardo Arevalo Padron hhas been freed
from a prison in eastern Cuba after having
served six years on conviction of committing
an "outrage" against the Communist
government of President Fidel Castro (news
- web sites), his friends said.
"Effective yesterday (Thursday), Bernardo
was released and is with his wife in Camaguey,"
500 km (310 miles) east of Havana, Laura
Pollan, wife of imprisoned dissident Hector
Maseda, told AFP.
Maseda is serving a 20-year sentence imposed
last March after his arrest with 74 other
opponents of the Castro regime.
Arevalo Padron, founder of the former independant
press agency Linea Sur Press, which operated
illegally in Cuba, was convicted on November
28 1997 and sentenced to six years in prison
for anti-revolutionary activities.
Pollan said he told her by telephone that
he was "in good health, even though
he felt a bit nervous after such a long
confinement," and that he would return
to the capital in the coming days.
|
