Analysis: "The vaccine could be Russia's biggest success in many years"

The Russian vaccine against covid-19, called Sputnik V, looks to be a great success.

Lots of countries are queuing up to buy the vaccine, but it will be a while before production in Russia can saturate demand from abroad.

You also have your own population to think about.

In Russia, up to three million people have now received at least one of the two syringes required for the vaccine to provide good protection.

It may seem impressive, but it still means that only two percent of the population has been vaccinated.

Widespread skepticism about the vaccine

In Moscow, vaccination for many can be arranged quickly.

For me, it only took a couple of days, even though I, as a foreign citizen, must also have a temporary Russian health insurance.

For others, it can be complicated, and take a long time.

The perhaps one hundred million Russians who live in less prosperous cities or out in the almost endless Russian countryside will probably have to wait a very long time before they have the opportunity to be vaccinated. 

There is also a relatively widespread skepticism about the vaccine.

In Russia, many are almost automatically suspicious of both authorities and official information.

A vaccine that has been rapidly developed and approved after tests on a minimal number of people does not inspire much confidence. 

"May be Russia's largest international framework in several years"

But the Gamaleja Institute, which has developed the vaccine, is reputable.

As long as there are no reports of alarmingly many serious side effects, or evidence that the protection the vaccine provides is insufficient, there is not much to suggest that Sputnik V is worse or more dangerous than the vaccines we now have access to in Sweden.

In the United States and Brazil alone, more people with covid-19 have died.

Death toll in Russia is now falling.

It may be temporary, but if the mass vaccinations go as planned and half the population has been vaccinated before midsummer, life here may begin to return to normal.

And if production in Russia and licensing in dozens of other countries start as planned, Sputnik V could be Russia's biggest international success in many years.