DISINFO: Kyiv demands to start production of Russian vaccines in Ukraine
SUMMARY
Kyiv demands to start production of Russian vaccines in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Parliament calls the position of the Kyiv authorities ignoring the possibility to start production of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine ‘a crime against the people’.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation on coronavirus aiming to promote the Sputnik V vaccine and to present Russia as a 'leader in COVID-19 management'.
A manipulative and misleading narrative suggesting that Ukraine wants to produce the Russian vaccine Sputnik V in Ukraine. In fact, there are no intentions of the Ukrainian government to acquire the Russian vaccine Sputnik V or to have it produced in Ukraine. The claim that the vaccine should be produced does not originate from the Ukrainian government, but from a Ukrainian opposition Member of Parliament, from the pro-Russian Ukrainian party "Opposition Platform – For Life Party". It is therefore misleading to imply that all of Ukraine is calling for the Russian vaccine to be produced in Ukraine, as only one MP voiced this opinion.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, Ukraine hopes to receive 8 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in the first half of 2021: Ukraine participates in the global COVAX Facility, which has been set up to provide COVID-19 vaccines. The COVAX mechanism is part of the Accelerated Access Initiative, which was also launched by WHO. COVAX is led by three organisations: the World Health Organisation, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
Ukrainian Minister for Health Stepanov announced that Ukraine wants to receive enough vaccine for up to 20% of its population, which would be the equivalent of 8 million doses. Ukraine expects that in the first half of 2021 Ukraine will start receiving the vaccine. The first tranche could total 1.2 million doses and it would be used primarily for groups most at risk. The priority in the vaccination will be provided to medical workers, military men, teachers, people from the risk groups, particularly, people over 60 years.
Ukraine had also held talks with all possible vaccine manufacturers and suppliers and already issued budget funds for the purchases.
See other examples of these disinformation narratives in the database, such as claims that Western attacks on the Russian coronavirus vaccine are a corporate Cold War against humanity; that a report on the Covid-19 situation in Russia aims to discredit the Sputnik V vaccine or that the UK launched a smear campaign against it; that British propaganda tries to dilute the failure of the AstraZeneca vaccine against the Sputnik V; that the US and the EU face multiple deaths out of fear of admitting Russia’s success against coronavirus; that the WHO confirmed that the Sputnik V was on Phase 3 of clinical testing already in August 2020; that the WHO and Microsoft sabotaged the Russian vaccine; that Europe is turning to Russia due to its desperate need for a vaccine; or that the West criticises the Sputnik V because it can’t accept Russia’s primacy and because its pharmaceutical companies will lose billions of dollars.