COVID-19 Vaccines

In the majority of the Member States of the European Union, vaccination against COVID-19 is carried out with vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The Russian vaccine Sputnik V has not yet been approved. On March 4, 2021, the EMA announced that it had begun the process of ongoing evaluation of information about the Sputnik V vaccine. Pro-Kremlin disinformation websites in Central Europe falsely reported in the past that the Russian manufacturer already applied for registration and even now continue to spread disinformation and manipulation about the registration process, often criticizing the European Union for not approving the Russian vaccine despite the Russian side allegedly fulfilling all of the requirements. EU representatives have not only been accused by those websites of “Russophobia” and “politicizing” the vaccines, but have also been pit against Russia, which, allegedly, does its best to cooperate and face the pandemic. These narratives copy the official rhetoric of the Russian Federation.

The impact of such disinformation is not to be underestimated. According to a recent poll, 40 % of Czech internet users believe disinformation and hoaxes related to COVID-19. This goes hand in hand with a dramatic decrease of trust of Czech citizens towards the government by 58%.

The situation has gotten even more tense in Slovakia, which has purchased Sputnik V vaccines and faced a significant political crisis because of it. Furthermore, the vaccine doses which Slovakia received turned out to be different than the ones reviewed in the medical journal The Lancet. The vaccine is not used in Slovakia despite its purchase, since it has not been approved by the national regulator. Unlike in the Czech Republic, a significant portion of the Slovak population (53%) considered the Sputnik V to be acceptable (similarly to the Pfizer vaccine). About 10% of Slovaks only want to be vaccinated by Sputnik V.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation websites in Slovakia are very active as well, often painting Russia as the most effective in countering COVID-19, even though, in reality, only a small portion of Russian citizens have been vaccinated. The Russian Ambassador to Slovakia claimed, in an interview, that vaccination in Russia is being carried out without issues and that Russian citizens trust the vaccine. The Slovak Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivan Korčok stated that the Russian vaccine is used by Russia as a political tool.

Recommendations

Slovakia has already purchased the Sputnik V vaccine and faced not only a political crisis, but also the fact that a different type of substance was delivered to Slovakia than the one reviewed in The Lancet journal. The Czech Republic is still considering the purchase under certain conditions, however, the disinformation campaigns surrounding the process of registration of the Russian vaccine and the untrustworthy behaviour of the Russian side shows that, even though ordering the Russian vaccine might be attractive, it comes with serious risks.

Western government should only purchase vaccines registered by the European Medicines Agency. But even with the EMA license, it would be advisable to treat the Russian Sputnik V vaccine cautiously, since the Russian manufacturer is continuously providing misleading information or does not provide it at all, as was the case of the required documentation for the vaccine delivered to Slovakia.

This newsletter includes outputs from the project of the European Values Center for Security Policy focused on training non-governmental sector representatives, including investigators and bloggers from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland. More information can be found on our website.