DISINFO: Russia’s enemies are afraid of the advantage of Sputnik V and Russia’s leadership
SUMMARY
Opponents of the Russian coronavirus vaccine are trying to undermine confidence in Sputnik V in the world, because it is one of the best, and they are simply afraid of it. We can talk not only about the international recognition of the Sputnik V vaccine but also about our leadership in the world. We have some of the best vaccines in the world, this is a great feat of Russian scientists, we should be proud of this.
RESPONSE
Recurrent claims about an alleged Russophobic Western campaign against the Sputnik V vaccine which are baseless.
Contrary to the claim, previous criticism and mistrust of the Sputnik V vaccine were not due to any alleged Russophobia and fear of Russian superiority but to the publication of incomplete or questionable data about it, surrounded by a disinformation campaign about this and other vaccines. Reservations and criticism of the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine stemmed from the fact that Russia did not complete large trials to test the vaccine’s safety and efficacy before releasing it. Rolling out an inadequately vetted vaccine could endanger people who receive it.
On February 2, 2021, interim results from a phase 3 trial of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine were finally published in The Lancet. The trial results show a consistent strong protective effect across all participant age groups, meaning that the Sputnik V vaccine candidate appears safe and effective. This is what led to a general change in the approach towards Sputnik V. All vaccines, authorised by the European Medicines Agency are welcome in the EU. In fact, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen explained on February 17, 2021 that Russia had not reached out to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for market authorisation of the Sputnik V, for which it would have to submit the whole data set and go through the complete scrutiny process like any other vaccine. Therefore, the perspective of the Sputnik V being authorised by EU regulators remains remote yet.
The same disinformation campaign includes statements such as "Western attacks on the Russian coronavirus vaccine are a corporate cold war against humanity" or "Russian progress in its COVID-19 vaccine has become for the West an outrageous challenge", that Sputnik V is a target of the corporate cold war; that the West wants to discredit the Sputnik V; that the WHO and Microsoft sabotaged the Russian vaccine, 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.