HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuban well being authorities mentioned that researchers within the communist-run nation are upgrading its homegrown COVID vaccines to make sure safety in opposition to the brand new Omicron variant.
The Caribbean island nation, whose economic system hinges on tourism, sharply eased entry necessities in mid-November following a profitable inoculation drive with domestically developed vaccines. Each infections and deaths from COVID-19 have dropped off to 2% or much less of their peaks, in accordance with a Reuters tally.
Vicente Verez, director of Cuba’s Finlay Institute for Vaccines, mentioned on Tuesday on state-run media it was clear that Cuba’s Soberana vaccine would proceed to supply “a sure degree of safety” in opposition to Omicron, however mentioned the extent of that safety was nonetheless unsure.
“We determined as of final week to start out growing a Soberana Plus variant having the Omicron RBD protein,” Verez mentioned, referring to the receptor-binding area (RBD), a key a part of the virus situated on its “spike”. “We have now already began it, and that protein is being constructed in the intervening time.”
Some international vaccine producers, together with BioNTech, have expressed guarded confidence that their vaccines would supply sturdy safety in opposition to Omicron. Others, like Moderna, have raised the prospect of a cloth drop in safety.
It isn’t but clear whether or not Omicron is extra transmissible than different variants, or if it causes extra extreme illness.
Cuba has developed an unusually giant biotech sector for a rustic its measurement, partly in a bid for sovereignty given crippling U.S. sanctions. It has made vaccines accessible to a number of of its allies, together with Venezuela, Nicaragua and Iran.
Cuba has but to detect the Omicron variant, however earlier this week introduced it will tighten restrictions starting Dec. 4 on passengers from sure African nations as a result of new variant.
(Reporting by Reuters TV; writing by Dave Sherwood; Modifying by Lisa Shumaker)
