The Moscow State History Museum
The Gum in Moscow in Red Square is like “La Rinascente” in the Cathedral square. Beyond prices and products, there is a difference now, in times of pandemics. A space has been set up in the Soviet shopping center, open from 10 to 21, for vaccination. You can get vaccinated without an appointment with Sputnik V, as well as in 20 other mobile points in the capital. Mobile points positioned in supermarkets, theaters and restaurants. However, few people who, in addition to the dose, could even receive an ice cream cone and a vaccination certificate.
Despite an initially formidable effort to promote the world’s first certified vaccine, the Kremlin has yet to get its campaign off the ground in the country of nearly 150 million. While promoting a vaccination without too many bureaucratic problems, only 3.23% of the population received the two doses of the drug from the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow and only 4.74% the first.
Sputnik V has been approved in over 60 countries including Argentina, Mexico, Belarus, Serbia, Hungary, Bolivia and the Republic of San Marino. But Europe, and especially the EMA, the European Regulatory Agency on Sputnik V is still very, perhaps too cautious. Germany broke the delay and decided to buy the drug on its own.
Low immunization data in Russia continues to raise the doubts of European health experts and bureaucrats who imply that Russia is using the vaccine in terms of marketing (the strength of its own scientific research) and geopolitics in a delicate historical moment of the country. West.
Many observers are convinced that “by selling it to as many countries as possible, Russia wants to improve its position in the world, its prestige and above all to gain in the game of diplomacy.” To these accusations, the Kremlin categorically denies using its vaccine for political purposes and speaks of useless russophobia.
Other doubts of Europe’s critics, frankly ridiculous when one thinks of Astra Zeneca’s behavior, imagine Soviet difficulties in keeping production promises.
From the beginning, Russia faced problems in the production of the Gamaleya vaccine. As of March 17, 20 million doses have been produced and 8.9 million complete kits have been put into circulation. The problems of manufacturing the second component of the vaccine and the lack of supplies of biotechnological equipment have burdened the process that Moscow now wants to accelerate by adding more laboratories to produce the drug also required by India, South Korea, Kazakhstan and even China. .
As for the delays, the Kremlin has promised that 17 million kits will be produced monthly starting this month.
The irregular arrival of Sputnik V in the 84 regions of Russia led Vladimir Putin to decide to delay his second vaccination until the availability of the drug was greater. Putin received the first dose on March 23. No one, at the moment, can confirm whether he actually used Sputnik.
Putin’s gesture has fueled the doubts of the Russians and 62% do not want to get vaccinated with this vaccine and above all consider the pandemic to be a great world conspiracy with a virus born in the laboratory.
Putin called for an acceleration of the campaign for herd immunity this summer, achieved only if nearly 70 million people are vaccinated. The authorities have launched a timid advertising campaign in which some famous people encourage vaccination. In addition, in Moscow, neighborhood polyclinics have sent their social workers to retirees’ homes to encourage them to get vaccinated and to explain where they can get it. But the campaign still travels very slowly.