Confronting the contagion: Cuba’s response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Abstract

Much has been said about the structure of the Cuban biotechnology sector in development literature. The collaborative and integrated structure of the Cuban sector has facilitated development and widespread distribution of Cuban vaccines for decades. There is some research on the Cuban biotechnology sector in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been rampant. However, there is little analysis into its collaborative and integrated structure, and its effect on the development of five Cuban vaccines against the virus. In the historical analysis that is provided in this thesis, the origin and evolution of the Cuban sector was examined, which has brought forth the collaborative and integrated elements of the structure. A comparative analysis of biotechnology sectors between Cuba and the United States has demonstrated a stark discrepancy in their respective structures and in the amount of the population that has been vaccinated. This thesis finds that the collaborative and integrated structure of the Cuban biotechnology sector has facilitated the effective and efficient development and distribution of vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.