Medical question: how Western politicians and the media changed their rhetoric when discussing the Russian vaccine "Sputnik V"

German Minister of Economy and Energy Peter Altmeier did not rule out the use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine in the country.

“If the Russian vaccine is effective and it is approved by the EMA (European Medicines Agency

- RT

), then, of course, it can be used in Germany.

After all, this is a medical, not a political issue, ”said Altmeier.

The use of the Russian vaccine was not ruled out in France either.

According to the Minister-Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance of France, Agnès Pannier-Ryunache, it is important for European countries to have a variety of available drugs. 

“Any vaccine that is ready and meets the criteria for safety and efficacy is welcome in Europe.

We are interested in getting the maximum of different vaccines and the maximum amount, ”the French official said. 

As Pannier-Rünache noted, a variety of drugs could be useful in combating different strains of coronavirus.

Way to success

Russia in August 2020 became the first country in the world to register a coronavirus vaccine.

The drug, called "Sputnik V", was developed by the National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after Honorary Academician N.F.

Gamalei.

This is a vector vaccine based on the human adenovirus.

Following this, many Western media tried to question its effectiveness and reliability.

Publications such as The New York Times, Science Mag, Nature, CNN have released materials claiming that the development of Sputnik V is allegedly being carried out too quickly and without meeting proper safety standards.

And after information about successful vaccine trials appeared, these media were in no hurry to inform their readers about them or publish materials with the research results.

• Hospital in Berlin

• Reuters

• © Fabrizio Bensch

Despite the negative information campaign of the Western media against Russian developments, a number of states have shown interest in the drug.

Today "Sputnik V" is registered in 20 countries. 

On Sunday, February 7, Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the direct investment fund (RDIF), said that the fund's specialists expect that by February 14, the Russian vaccine will be registered in 25 states.

The rhetoric regarding the Russian vaccine in the West began to change after the publication of a study of its effectiveness in the British journal The Lancet, one of the most respected medical publications.

An independent international examination found that the Sputnik V vaccine provides complete protection against severe cases of coronavirus, the study said.

Its efficiency is 91.6%.

Thus, Sputnik V was included in the top three vaccines with an efficiency of more than 90%, along with RNA vaccines from pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna.

At the same time, the Russian drug is cheaper and does not require extremely low temperatures for storage and transportation.

Change of world view

After the publication in The Lancet, the attitude towards the Russian vaccine in the West changed dramatically.

Thus, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz called on the EMA to drop the policy on vaccine registration and not to taboo applications for the registration of drugs from Russia and China.

Later, Kurz said that he himself was ready to vaccinate with the drug from any of these countries, if they are registered in the EU.

In turn, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, congratulated Russia on the invention of an effective vaccine against COVID-19 and expressed the hope that the European regulator would allow its use in the EU.

He stressed that "Sputnik V" would be good news for Europe, as there are not enough vaccines in the EU.

In addition, the discourse of the Western media regarding the drug developed by the specialists of the Gamaleya Center has also changed dramatically.

So, in the material of the German newspaper Welt says that for the first time in a long time Russia was able to surprise the West "from a technical point of view" by creating a vaccine against COVID-19.

The online publication Politico noted that, despite initial skepticism, impressive results from clinical trials led the scientific community to accept Sputnik V, and the drug entered the “prestigious club” of the three most effective vaccines against coronavirus infection.

In turn, The Wall Street Journal indicated that Russia won the vaccine race and responded to criticism of Russian science and medicine.

At the same time, Bloomberg emphasized that Russia has probably made the largest scientific breakthrough since the Soviet Union and now has an advantage in the global fight against coronavirus infection.

The French edition of Le Journal du Dimanche added that the Russian Federation, with the help of Sputnik V, demonstrates that it is again a great power, noting that the Russian vaccine “is less and less likely to cause jokes in its address” due to its high efficiency and unpretentious storage conditions. 

• Russian vaccine against coronavirus "Sputnik V"

• Reuters

• © Sergey Pivovarov

The attitude towards the Russian drug among sane politicians in Europe is beginning to change, however, the true indicator of its success will be the permission of EU regulators for its widespread use, said Vladimir Bruter, an expert at the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Research, in an interview with RT.

“The prospects for such a development of events are still vague, the chances are 50 to 50. However, this decision is supported by the fact that Europe really lacks its own vaccines,” he said.

However, given that it is quite difficult to get vaccinated in Europe, because at the moment there is a large shortage of the drug, it is likely that the EU will allow the use of Sputnik on its territory, the expert added.

Political analyst Alexander Asafov also noted that Europe needs the Russian drug due to the lack of vaccines and the slow pace of their distribution.

“At the same time, the use of a Russian drug means a departure from the general policy towards Moscow.

Although in the EU countries there are now statements that they are ready to use any working vaccine, they will still look back at Washington and the American companies Moderna and Pfizer, ”the political scientist said.

Most likely, European countries will continue to depoliticize this issue, trying to untie it from the general European policy towards Russia, added Asafov.

“But the problem is that for quite a long time Europe has politicized any actions of Russia, and now it will be difficult for it to separate the belligerent rhetoric against official Moscow from the need to establish cooperation on the use of the Russian vaccine,” the expert believes.