DISINFO: Ukraine's refusal of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine is a crime against their own people
SUMMARY
The Ukrainian authorities’ refusal of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, which in the near future could have been used to vaccinate Ukrainians against coronavirus, is simply a crime against their own people.
Mass vaccination has begun with the Sputnik V vaccine, which has effectiveness in the range of 91-95%. Moreover, yesterday there was a report from the institute of the developer of this vaccine, the Gamalei Centre, that in the case of severe coronavirus diseases, this vaccine has the effectiveness of 100%.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation on coronavirus aiming to promote the Sputnik V vaccine.
According to Ukrainian Healthcare Minister Maksym Stepanov, the Ukrainian government is not planning to acquire the Russian vaccine, "given that the latter has not yet gone through the third stage of clinical trials." On the same note, the Ukrainian Health ministry state that the country is already set to receive a COVID-19 vaccine via the COVAX mechanism, an international initiative launched by the World Health Organization, the European Commission, and the government of France to ensure efficient access to COVID-19 vaccines once they are ready.
The claim that Sputnik V demonstrates >95% efficacy has likewise been called into question. According to Science magazine, the assertion "doesn't pass the smell test," given that the percentage is based on merely 20 cases. By comparison, the estimated efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot is based on 94 identified cases, and the clinical trials are to continue until that number reaches 164.
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.