The European Union accuses China and Russia of practicing "disinformation" about vaccines

The European Union said on Wednesday that Beijing and Moscow have stepped up "state-sponsored disinformation" campaigns to discredit vaccines developed by the West against COVID-19 while promoting their vaccines.

A report issued by the European Union stated that “so-called 'vaccine diplomacy' follows the logic of a zero-sum game” that seeks to “undermine confidence in Western-made vaccines, EU institutions and Western / European vaccination strategies”.

The report added that since December, Russian state media, authorities and companies have united to promote the Sputnik-V vaccine by using "hostile messages" to accuse the European Union of "tarnishing" the Russian vaccine.

He continued, "The pro-Kremlin media, including the official Sputnik-V Twitter account, sought to undermine public confidence in the European Medicines Agency and question its procedures and political neutrality."

The report stressed that the state-backed media tried to "sow confusion" about the request for approval to market the Russian Sputnik-in vaccine in an attempt to reinforce the narrative that the foundation had deliberately delayed its license to use it.

He added that "the pro-Kremlin media also accused the European Medicines Agency and the European Union in general of political bias against the Russian vaccine."

At the same time, Beijing has promoted its vaccines as "more suitable for developing countries," including those in the Western Balkans, and published "misleading stories" about the safety of Western vaccines and even about the origin of the Corona virus, according to the report.

Vaccination campaigns in the European Union faced widespread domestic criticism after being slowed by delayed delivery of vaccine shipments.

Campaigns were also affected by concerns about the safety of some vaccines, especially AstraZeneca, due to their association with rare blood clots, which prompted some countries to suspend or restrict their use.

But Brussels is confirming that handovers are now increasing and that the union aims to vaccinate 70 percent of adults by the end of July.

The European Medicines Agency began reviewing Sputnik-V's license file in March.

If approved, it will be the first non-Western anti-Corona vaccine to be licensed for use throughout the 27-nation bloc.

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