From the MT:
“Putin
Receives Russian Coronavirus Vaccine – Kremlin”
Russian
President Vladimir Putin got his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine Tuesday,
his spokesman told state media, receiving one of the country's three
domestically developed jabs. Kremlin
spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin is feeling well and will have a full working
day Wednesday. Putin’s delay in getting vaccinated while boasting of Russia's
Sputnik V as the world’s “best” jab has raised eyebrows, and he was one of the
last remaining world leaders to be vaccinated. The procedure happened off-camera despite
speculation that the Russian president would broadcast it live to ease public
distrust in Russia's vaccines, with Peskov saying earlier Tuesday that “you'll
have to take our word for it.” “As for being vaccinated in front of the
cameras, he does not like it,” Peskov said of the 68-year-old leader, who has
not been one for camera-shyness during his two decades in power. Peskov also
declined to specify which vaccine Putin took, telling reporters Tuesday that
“all three Russian vaccines are absolutely reliable, very good and effective.”
Previous reports
said Putin, 68, was waiting until his vaccination schedule allowed him to
receive the coronavirus shot. Citing Putin at a closed-door meeting with
journalists last month, Kommersant reported that he wouldn’t broadcast his
vaccination because he “does not want to monkey around.” Yet with Russia’s mass
vaccination campaign getting off to a slower-than-hoped start since the
beginning of the year, Putin’s move will likely be viewed as an effort to boost
public trust in Russian-made vaccines. Only
about 4 million of the country's 144 million people have so far received two
vaccine doses, and another 2 million a first dose. A poll this month said
nearly two-thirds of Russians don’t want to get Sputnik V. “Vaccination is of course the voluntary choice
of every person... By the way, I intend to do it myself tomorrow,” Putin had
said during a televised meeting Monday.
His vaccination
also comes as Russia spars with the European Union over an EU official’s comments
criticizing the Russian vaccine and Sputnik V undergoes a rolling review for
approval with the EU’s medicines regulator. Russia became the first country in
the world to register a coronavirus vaccine in August 2020 by approving Sputnik
V, which was developed by the state-run Gamaleya Research Institute and the
Russian Direct Investment Fund. International experts raised concerns over its
approval ahead of large-scale trials for safety and effectiveness while western
officials criticized the jab as a propaganda tool. A peer-reviewed study
published in The Lancet last month revealed Sputnik V’s effectiveness to be
nearly 92%, alleviating some of those concerns. Russia has registered two other
domestic vaccines so far: KoviVak and EpiVacCorona.
^ Putin’s own
actions and words are his un-doing in all of this. First there was no Covid in
Russia. Then there was. Then there were lockdowns. Then there weren’t. Then
Russia was the first country with a Covid Vaccine and Putin gave it to only one
of his two daughters (either the vaccine is good and he gave it to the daughter
he likes or the vaccine doesn’t work and he gave it to the daughter he doesn’t
really like.) Then Putin was not seen in public for a long time. Then he came
out. Then he randomly announces he will get the Covid Vaccine, but not on
camera (so no one knows if he really got it or not.) His Covid actions have
been a roller-coaster for Russians so it is no wonder that so many do not trust
the Russian Government, Putin or the Russian Covid Vaccine. ^
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.