Cuba to upgrade homegrown COVID-19 vaccine to confront Omicron

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.