THE San José, California Technical Museum has
awarded one of its annual prizes in the health
category to the team of specialists who worked
on obtaining the Cuban vaccine against
Haemophilus infuenzae Type B, the bacteria that
causes meningitis, pneumonia and other
infections in under-fives.
|
Dr. Vicente Vérez is the
principal author
of the Cuban vaccine against Haemophilus
Influenzae Type B. |
The award ceremony is scheduled
for November 9 at the museum itself, but Dr.
Vicente Vérez Bencomo, the principal author of
this important achievement, cannot attend it
because the U.S. government has refused him a
visa, arguing that his presence would be
prejudicial to that country’s interests.
When Granma asked him about that
absurd decision, the likewise director of the
University of Havana Synthetic Antigens Center
said that it could be an attempt to minimize the
impact of the vaccine in the context of U.S.
public opinion. Its candidacy for the award
dates back to an article in the prestigious
magazine Science in July 2004, and an
editorial that subsequently appeared in the same
publication under the title “The synthetic
vaccine is a sweet victory for Cuban science.”
Every year the San José Technical
Museum awards prizes for 25 research works of
notable benefit to humanity, grouped into five
categories. For 2005 there were 580 nominations
from 80 countries. Nine nations are to receive
prizes.
In addition to Dr. Vérez, the
team who developed the vaccine comprises Dr.
Violeta Fernández, of the same University
Center; Eugenio Hardy, of the Genetic
Engineering and Biotechnology Center; María
Eugenia Toledo, of the Pedro Kouri Institute of
Tropical Medicine; and Dr. René Roy, of the
University of Montreal, with the support of a
wide range of institutions.
The refusal of a visa to travel
to the United States also prevents Vicente Pérez
from attending a symposium organized by the
International Glycobiology Society, scheduled
for November in Boston, and from living a master
lecture at the University of Harvard.
