DISINFO: Countries eliminating dangerous AstraZeneca, choosing Sputnik V instead
SUMMARY
The scandal regarding the side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine, including deaths, is still topical. Many countries, including members of the EU, are suspending or even eliminating the use of it (because this vaccine is dangerous). Instead of this vaccine, they are buying Sputnik V to maintain the schedules of mass vaccination.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation about vaccination , about AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccine.
It is true that some EU countries temporarily suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to concerns over possible dangerous side effects. Later, the European Medicine Agency, as well as the World Health Organisation, concluded that the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe (see here and here) and benefits outweigh potential risks. By March 18 2021, EU countries resumed use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Denmark is the only EU country which decided it would use other vaccines as the COVID-19 pressure is lower and other vaccines, Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderne are used instead of AstraZeneca. Some EU countries have limited its use to certain age groups. For example, Germany, Italy and Spain limited the use of AstraZeneca vaccine for people under 60, France - under 55s. For younger age groups, other vaccines are being used, mostly, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, not Sputnik V.
While several EU member states have chosen to use Sputnik V vaccine for their vaccination strategies, it is not used widely across the EU.
Read earlier disinformation claims, alleging that AstraZeneca vaccines were returned to the manufacture because they were expired or that fiasco and catastrophe with vaccination brought huge reputation losses to the EU.