Cuba to upgrade homegrown COVID-19 vaccine to confront Omicron

FILE PHOTO: A nurse applies a dose of the Soberana-02 COVID-19 vaccine to a health worker, as part of Phase III trials of the experimental Cuban vaccine candidate amid concerns about the spread of the coronavirus disease, in Havana, Cuba, March 24, 2021. Ramon Espinosa / Pool via REUTERS

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban health authorities said that researchers in the communist-run country are upgrading its homegrown COVID vaccines to ensure protection against the new Omicron variant.

The Caribbean island nation, whose economy hinges on tourism, sharply eased entry requirements in mid-November following a successful inoculation drive with domestically developed vaccines. Both infections and deaths from COVID-19 have dropped off to 2% or less of their peaks, according to a Reuters tally.