EN
Back to database
DISINFO: Choosing Moderna as the best vaccine is a political-economic decision

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

AI translations:

Tags:

vaccination coronavirus Sputnik V

DISINFO: Choosing Moderna as the best vaccine is a political-economic decision

SUMMARY

There are political and economic motives behind the decision of the World Vaccine Congress to choose the Moderna vaccine, as the best vaccine against Covid-19 in the world.

We are talking about vaccines costing $100 billion, recognising the superiority of Sputnik V vaccine means that this money will go to Russia.

RESPONSE

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation claims about the West recognising and authorising vaccines based on political rather than scientific bases. The claim was neither counterbalanced nor critically challenged in the article.

In Europe, the European Medicine Agency (EMA) has initiated a rolling review of the Sputnik V vaccine on 4 March 2021, and the decision will be decided on a scientific, not political, basis. The EMA is committed to applying the same regulatory approach and scientific rigour to all vaccine applications that meet European requirements for safety, efficacy and quality and is in dialogue with more than 50 vaccine developers from across the globe, including the Sputnik V developers from Russia.

In the US, only three vaccines are authorised for emergency use, which excludes many of the other Western vaccines such as AstraZeneca, and not only Sputnik V.

Russia is only administering its own vaccines, which together with broad-based vaccine hesitancy among Russians is causing the vaccination campaign to move at a slower pace for a vaccine-producing country. Russia's heavy disinformation campaigns regarding the pandemic and vaccines might have helped create a situation where 60-70% of its population are disinclined to be vaccinated, which is one of the highest rates of vaccine hesitancy in the world. See also our special report: Short Assessment of Narratives and Disinformation Around the COVID-19 Pandemic (update DEC 2020 - APRIL 2021.

To boost demand for the vaccines, the authorities are offering cash coupons to those over 60 who get vaccinated. This has not yet yielded a breakthrough as data shows that only 17% of the population received at least one shot of the vaccine as of 5 July 2021, despite Russia boasting about being ahead of everyone else in registering a Covid-19 vaccine.

See related disinformation cases that recognising vaccines is a political and economic decision, alleging that the EMA will try to postpone the authorisation of Sputnik V, that the EMA's delay in approving Sputnik V is political; and that Russian vaccine opponents are trying to eradicate trust in Sputnik V.

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

    %s

      Your opinion matters!

      Data Protection Information *

        Subscribe to the Disinfo Review

        Your weekly update on pro-Kremlin disinformation

        Data Protection Information *

        The Disinformation Review is sent through Mailchimp.com. See Mailchimp’s privacy policy and find out more on how EEAS protects your personal data.

        🎵 Playlist