Russian Disinformation Campaign Aims To Undermine Confidence in Pfizer and Other Covid-19 Vaccines, US Officials Say (wsj.com) 151
Russian intelligence agencies have mounted a campaign to undermine confidence in Pfizer's and other Western vaccines, using online publications that in recent months have questioned the vaccines' development and safety, U.S. officials said. From a report: An official with the State Department's Global Engagement Center, which monitors foreign disinformation efforts, identified four publications that he said have served as fronts for Russian intelligence. The websites played up the vaccines' risk of side effects, questioned their efficacy, and said the U.S. had rushed the Pfizer vaccine through the approval process, among other false or misleading claims. Though the outlets' readership is small, U.S. officials say they inject false narratives that can be amplified by other Russian and international media.
"We can say these outlets are directly linked to Russian intelligence services," the Global Engagement Center official said of the sites behind the disinformation campaign. "They're all foreign-owned, based outside of the United States. They vary a lot in their reach, their tone, their audience, but they're all part of the Russian propaganda and disinformation ecosystem." In addition, Russian state media and Russian government Twitter accounts have made overt efforts to raise concerns about the cost and safety of the Pfizer vaccine in what experts outside the U.S. government say is an effort to promote the sale of Russia's rival Sputnik V vaccine.
"The emphasis on denigrating Pfizer is likely due to its status as the first vaccine besides Sputnik V to see mass use, resulting in a greater potential threat to Sputnik's market dominance," says a forthcoming report by the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a nongovernmental organization that focuses on the danger that authoritarian governments pose to democracies and that is part of the German Marshall Fund, a U.S. think tank. The foreign efforts to sow doubts about the vaccine exploit deep-seated anxieties about the efficacy and side effects of vaccines that were already prevalent in some communities in the U.S. and internationally. Concern about side effects is a major reason for vaccine hesitancy, according to U.S. Census Bureau data made public last month.
"We can say these outlets are directly linked to Russian intelligence services," the Global Engagement Center official said of the sites behind the disinformation campaign. "They're all foreign-owned, based outside of the United States. They vary a lot in their reach, their tone, their audience, but they're all part of the Russian propaganda and disinformation ecosystem." In addition, Russian state media and Russian government Twitter accounts have made overt efforts to raise concerns about the cost and safety of the Pfizer vaccine in what experts outside the U.S. government say is an effort to promote the sale of Russia's rival Sputnik V vaccine.
"The emphasis on denigrating Pfizer is likely due to its status as the first vaccine besides Sputnik V to see mass use, resulting in a greater potential threat to Sputnik's market dominance," says a forthcoming report by the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a nongovernmental organization that focuses on the danger that authoritarian governments pose to democracies and that is part of the German Marshall Fund, a U.S. think tank. The foreign efforts to sow doubts about the vaccine exploit deep-seated anxieties about the efficacy and side effects of vaccines that were already prevalent in some communities in the U.S. and internationally. Concern about side effects is a major reason for vaccine hesitancy, according to U.S. Census Bureau data made public last month.
Russian disinformation? I am shocked. (Score:2, Redundant)
Re: (Score:2)
You are expected?
Then we shan't keep you.
AMA with Russian disinfo expert!!! (Score:1)
Hey I see Russia has sent us a representative to do a Q & A!!!!
So are there any characters or roles that you love to play? After spending so much time pretending to be an American do you ever feel like you're actually here?
What's your pay like? Are there any other sites you like to post on? What's your typical day like, do you work from home or in an office?
What's the worst thing your boss has done to you?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
"So are there any characters or roles that you love to play?"
"What's the worst thing your boss has done to you?"
I dunno, this sounds kinda like one of those porn site spam comments.
Re: (Score:2)
I dunno, this sounds kinda like one of those porn site spam comments.
Really? Can you show me an example?
"So are there any characters or roles that you love to play?"
I'd really like to read someone saying their favorite role was stepsister stuck in drier.
Be sure to vote me down here too (Score:2)
https://slashdot.org/comments.... [slashdot.org]
You missed this one comrade.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah I hear this a lot from people in the former Soviet Union.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Why do you come here? You don't sound like the sort of person who would be on a throwback forum from when computers and science weren't cool.
You sound like the sort of person who would have been asking Yahoo Answers where babies come from. How did you find this place? What do you like about it. Please help me understand.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Ok I actually believe you're dumb enough to make the "he didn't say bleach" argument despite being on Slashdot in the late 90s. So you haven't answered my question. Did you hit your head in an accident or something? Is it the lead... spend a lot of your youth around leaded gasoline?
What about the disinfectant? What on that list should we be injecting into human bodies? Which one will be ok to wash down my lungs? What about the UV light... where should I shove that?
Seriously go take an IQ test, I'm sur
Re: (Score:1)
I don't believe it is being blamed on Trump... are you grievance shopping? Need your daily outrage? Need to maintain victim status? That is pretty much a full-time job for the alt-right these days. Looking for something to express their outrage and paint themselves as victims.
Re: (Score:2)
ivan.
lets face it.
disinformation is a lot easier to do.
than something hard.
like battery technology for mobile robotics.
the kremlin has become a paper bear.
run by handlers.
that are just to stupid.
for their own good
Re: (Score:2)
I predict this will be a well reasoned discussion (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
I wouldn't mind so much, but it already muddies an already complicated issue, and it's basically playing games with people's lives.
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
> Russian intelligence agencies have mounted a campaign to undermine confidence in Pfizer's and other Western vaccines
> Though the outlets’ readership is small, U.S. officials say they inject false narratives that can be amplified by other Russian and international media
The American public has trouble spelling Pfizer and (still) don't know what vaccines they will get (if they get one at all) when they go out to get them.
I've seen 0 about this, heard 0 about this till now...months after a myriad
Re: (Score:2)
Except that 62.1 million of them have received at least one dose. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-da... [cdc.gov]
Is this obscure enough for you? At least do a google before you mouth off.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/07... [cnn.com]
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/0... [cnbc.com]
https://www.wsj.com/articles/r... [wsj.com]
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ne... [dailymail.co.uk]
https://www.newsmax.com/headli... [newsmax.com]
Re: (Score:2)
> Except that 62.1 million of them have received at least one dose
Not sure what you think you're contradicting. There are populations (eg Northwest, Midwest, etc) that are *still* having trouble. If you haven't been to vaccination sites that ran out hours before (or turned you down), you're ignorant. That's life.
> At least do a google before you mouth off.
Googling for specific things makes anything look prolific. Get a grip and take another look.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/07 [cnn.com]... [cnn.com] - March 7
ht [cnbc.com]
Re: (Score:2)
I'm contradicting your idiotic comment regarding "if and when they'll get them". Supply and delivery has been ramping up, and we're nearing the point where in a month or so, anyone will be able to get them. I got my first Moderna last week in a state that's taking anyone over age 55. Sure, logistics aren't even across the nation...big surprise. And every state is handling it by their own rules, which is just stupid. But within the next couple months, it will be available to everyone. We're already doi
Re: (Score:2)
> I'm contradicting your idiotic comment regarding "if and when they'll get them"
Keep moving that goalpost. Of course "in the future" everything is going to be rosy because everything can be different in some theoretical future. That's not the issue being discussed.
https://www.latimes.com/califo... [latimes.com] (March)
My comment stands.
Re: (Score:2)
The American public has trouble spelling Pfizer and (still) don't know what vaccines they will get (if they get one at all) when they go out to get them.
I was able to choose between all three (Pfizer, Moderna and J&J, if I've spelled those correctly) when I got my first shot last week. Not at the same place, mind you, but I was able to choose the location with full knowledge of what vaccine they were offering.
Re: (Score:3)
My understanding is that the misinformation campaign is aimed more at South and Central America (and perhaps other 3rd world countries) to get them to buy the Russian vaccine instead of others.
Re: (Score:3)
Then you haven't been paying attention - this has been going on for months. They were spreading stories about Oxford's vaccines turning people into monkeys back in October, and I've been hearing about it on and off since then.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
>No one takes Slashdot discussions seriously.
In soviet russia, slashdot discussions take *you* seriously!
[ok, *someone* had to say it . . . now where did those grits go . . .]
hawk
Re: (Score:2)
Oh wow. (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I don't believe that's your UID. I think you bought this account. I'm trying to imagine talking to you on 2001 Slashdot and it doesn't click. Have you exposed yourself to any toxins since then? Head injuries? Addictions?
Boris and Natasha are going to ruin everything (Score:1, Troll)
Kind of amazing how dastardly and evil Russia is. How could a country with a minuscule economy and small army (compared with ours) be so incredibly insidious and devious and just so darn effective at thwarting us? They are true masterminds. Just like Iraq WMD, they are assuredly responsible for all things bad in the world. Boris and Natasha are so mean to us. And why? We have never been mean to them! Right? Never, we are just sweet as pie.
Re: (Score:3)
Why don't you ask the folks in the Ukraine? Or, pretty much any former East-Block nation.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
And I agree. I'm ashamed at our lack of help.
Re:Boris and Natasha are going to ruin everything (Score:5, Insightful)
>Kind of amazing how dastardly and evil Russia is.
You're right we're getting off easy compared to how their government treat allies and how Russians treat each other.
>How could a country with a minuscule economy and small army (compared with ours) be so incredibly insidious and devious and just so darn effective at thwarting us? They are true masterminds.
Well yes they're not stupid, they've had practice running decades long disinformation campaigns against their own people, even Yeltsin was unaware of real American living standards as a high ranking party member and they've got a long history of pulling out all the stops when it comes to dealing with us, up to and including bankrupting themselves trying to keep up with the US's own broken space laser program. It continues today with all the poisonings, radioisotope tracking persons of interest, electronic warfare, etc. The most surprising thing would be if they didn't have a massive disinformation campaign.
>Just like Iraq WMD, they are assuredly responsible for all things bad in the world.
This ^ is not like that v
>Boris and Natasha are so mean to us. And why? We have never been mean to them! Right? Never, we are just sweet as pie.
And so are you saying they're not that bad or are you saying they're that bad but it's ok because we've been mean too?
>and small army (compared with ours)
Who is this "ours"? We know what you're here for. It must seem like this place is an ideal nest of dupes but actually most real slashdot users are pretty smart. You have to consider that the place became a magnet for you guys because of our lenient anonymity policy. You're literally jerking each other off at this point, one of you is from a Russian shill farm, the guy you're talking to is a superPAC troll, and the guy responding to both of you is a right wing shill making bad faith posts for free because he wants to feel like he won the superbowl and a presidential election in the same year.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
If you spend a large portion of your resources and time agitating other countries, it can be quite effective. For an analogy, a toddler's size is not an indicator of the amount of trouble and headaches it can cause. Putin is a skilled troll.
Re: (Score:2)
If you spend a large portion of your resources and time agitating other countries, it can be quite effective. For an analogy, a toddler's size is not an indicator of the amount of trouble and headaches it can cause. Putin is a skilled troll.
It's also called "asymmetrical warfare". When a very small force using relatively high-tech weapons can launch devastating surprise attacks, like using social media for disinformation campaigns. Or, say Afghans using US-supplied stingers to defeat the Soviet invasion. Same basic principle, this is just in cyberspace.
Re: (Score:2)
For an analogy, a toddler's size is not an indicator of the amount of trouble and headaches it can cause.
Best analogy I've seen quite a while. Bravo!
(No mod points, so you'll have to settle for ^)
Re: (Score:2)
To be fair even the quality of Russia's regular active duty military is questionable and much of the work done by low ranking military is done by machines in the US military. For example you might have a group of 10 conscripts in Russia who do the job of a crane and forklift in the US.
What are these maniacs doing? (Score:3, Insightful)
Are they doing this to give their own pharma industry a little boost? If so, it's their most dangerously shortsighted idea since they helped the US elect a fascist. Russia is like those people who light their house on fire in an attempt to kill a spider. So far we've been able to stomp the fires out with relatively limited damage, but they might burn the whole damn house down some day.
Re:What are these maniacs doing? (Score:5, Insightful)
I am not a Kremlinologist, but I think Putin's security rests on the internal perception that he has Made Russia Great Again. They can still invade their neighbors, but they can't afford to build up Africa like China is doing. So they export the fruits of their scientific knowhow and try to ensure a continuing market by talking down the competition; imagine the humiliation if Venezuela chose the Pfizer vaccine!
Re:What are these maniacs doing? (Score:5, Insightful)
That makes some sense, and fits with their usual pyrotechnic-arachnocide type thinking:
Problem: Russian vaccine isn't super popular, this doesn't make Russian Science look like Best Science! The rest of the world must know Russia's greatness!
Solution: Spread dangerous anti-vax disinformation about other vaccines that will make the pandemic worse and longer for everyone and leave the world a more dangerous place, but will also make the Russian vaccine more popular relatively speaking! Problem solved! #MRGA!
Re: (Score:2)
Should that not be #CCPB or perhaps #CPBC Not being a native speaker and done with Latin rather than Cyrillic characters due to general rubbishness of slashdot and Unicode.
Re: (Score:2)
Problem: Russian vaccine isn't super popular, this doesn't make Russian Science look like Best Science! The rest of the world must know Russia's greatness!
But the Russian vaccine is popular - quite a few countries have ordered large batches.
And when it comes to vaccinations, Russia actually has a solid track record. For example both the polio and the smallpox global vaccination campaigns would not have been possible without the Soviet Union's efforts and knowledge.
There are many reasons to worry about Russia. But vaccinations aren't among them, and we shouldn't forget that we're at the beginning of a new cold war and anti-russian propaganda has been ramping u
Re: (Score:1)
If they can encourage enough Westerners to not get vaccinated then that means Western economies have to be shut down for longer which harms them economically. There's a race now for economies to get up and running quickly and Russia wants to get ahead in that game by slowing everyone else down.
This is really what Russia does all the time - rather than just grow up and compete, it just tries to cripple everyone else down to it's level. It's quite sad and pathetic, but that describes Russia throughout history
Re:What are these maniacs doing? (Score:4, Insightful)
They're trying to weaken the US (Score:3)
TL;DR; it's
Re: (Score:2)
Re:What are these maniacs doing? (Score:5, Insightful)
Russia doesn't like that NATO has expanded towards their borders. Russia's nearby neighbors look at Russia's history of conquering and annexing them, and reasonably think that they need some help to prevent it from happening again. And the fact that Russia has annexed parts of Georgia and Ukraine in the last decade indicate those fears aren't completely unfounded.
Putin is very much a "Make Russia Great Again"-style leader, so he can't acknowledge that his neighbors have legitimate grievances. But he doesn't have the economic might or military might to force concessions from the West. And he can't develop either due to the massive pile of corruption that is the Russian economy.
So with no ability to build themselves up, they need to tear down others. That way their relative power increases. So they'll push any disinfo campaign that destabilizes the West. Doesn't matter the political alignment of the people they're helping, they just want more friction and chaos.
Re: (Score:2)
Russia doesn't like that NATO has expanded towards their borders.
That's putting it mildly.
In fact, Russia was given a promise that exactly this would not happen. It was a condition of Gorbatchev agreeing to German re-unification and all that.
Then NATO almost immediately turned around and broke that promise. Then the US (both on the government level and through some of its rich individuals) intervened in Russian internal politics and economics, crashing the Ruble and the Russian economy, leading to the 1990s which were a terrible time full of economic crisis and crime. Mo
Re: (Score:2)
https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/brie... [gwu.edu]
No one was saying the West were angels towards Russia. This is international relations, and no one is an angel.
But Estonia and others also have a history that makes them not trust Russia, so it's rather unrealistic to expect them to just assume Russia won't conquer them again.
Re: (Score:2)
Agree.
But a broken promise is a broken promise. If people had been smart rather than playing chess with countries, there could've been many ways to give these countries some assurances without putting a military alliance that spend decades declaring it wants to wipe Russia off the map right at their doorsteps.
I mean, that's a bit like your gun-hungry neighbour who already shot a few of your dogs "by accident" buying the lot on your other side as well and storing his ammo and explosives in a shack right next
Re:What are these maniacs doing? (Score:5, Insightful)
Why wouldn't you believe this was Russia? They're authoritarian fuckwits who hate us for freezing their assets. We're just lucky they are drunken incompetents. And they have such a piss poor economy that yes, selling their vaccine would be a big boost to them. So no, I have no trouble believing Russia would do something like this. They have before.
So the question is, why do you love Russia? Either you're from there, getting paid by them, or you're a Trumper who thinks they're great because they helped your idiot get elected. Either way, only assholes and morons like Russia. Fuck, most Russians don't even like, or trust, Russia.
Re: (Score:2)
Why wouldn't you believe this was Russia?
I don't know why that person doesn't believe it's Russia, but personally I don't believe anything that comes out of US intelligence services without evidence presented. They lie too often historically and in the present.
Could it have been Russia? Sure, but it could have been plenty of other groups as well.
So the question is, why do you love Russia?
So many reasons, from Baikal to Boronezh. The beautiful countryside, the long history of literature, the visible aurora, the unique architecture, the standing on your feet for eight hours at a time without
Re: (Score:2)
How many B/V letters are there in Russian?
Re: (Score:3)
Fuck, most Russians don't even like, or trust, Russia.
I have a lot of Russians among my acquaintances - living in two very international cities with various UN and international organisations does that - and none of them dislike Russia. But they have the same healthy mistrust of their government as Americans do. In fact, they resemble Americans more than they resemble us Europeans. I always wonder if maybe they don't get along with each other because they are too similar.
Re: (Score:3)
Sadly, both countries are gripped by authoritarianism, sexism, and white Christian nationalism. Our right wing and theirs love each other. And the rest of us hate both and wish we were more like Europe.
Re: (Score:2)
Why wouldn't you believe this was Russia?
A reasonable question. What is alleged is certainly in line with past proven behavior.
So the question is, why do you love Russia?
This is a step too far kind sir. Asking for proof and being unwilling to fully accept information without definitive proof is a reasonable stance and does not prove "love" towards what a person is demanding proof of. Honestly, this accusation to the OP seems like something a mob would yell out, not something that rational and reasonable people would assert. Are you becoming part of the pitchfork wielding mob or trying to c
Re: (Score:2)
Are you new here? First time reading comments on the Internet?
Re: (Score:2)
Ok. You used to post on dvachan.ru until a bunch of you were arrested and then someone offered you a job based on your involvement in chanology and other raids.
Does that sound accurate? Close? Lemmie know.
Re: (Score:2)
PS.
COROVANS???? Lol inside joke 4 u comrade.
Why did it take them so many years. (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
You had to stand in a line to get it. Before you could stand in a line, you had to get a permit. To get a permit, you had to stand in a line. But before that, you had to get permission.
News at 11 (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't think anyone with a choice is going to be getting Sputnik V or Sinovac. People without a choice are probably better off with any of them than with nothing.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't think anyone with a choice is going to be getting Sputnik V
Why? Yes, they started vaccinating early and trial results were published late, but even the independent reviews we have now point out that it's a solid vaccination based on established methods (instead of the experimental methods of the US- and Europe-based research).
Aside from general anti-russian sentiments, which we should all remember are most likely the result of now years of anti-russian propaganda, do you have some fact-based reasons to distrust Sputnik V (I'm not talking about Sinovac, I have too l
Re: (Score:2)
Two reasons:
1) While I disagree with your statement that "anti-Russian propaganda" is unjustified, as it has been repeatedly shown and documented by intelligence agencies and upheld in courts and senate committees, we can agree to disagree. The simple fact is, based upon the preponderance of evidence, the west is biased against Russia and is thus unlikely to acquire or make easily available the Sputnik V vaccine to its citizens as they are doing with the others. Thus it is unlikely to be available to most p
Re: (Score:2)
Thus it is unlikely to be available to most people reading this forum, whether they want it or not.
Not true. If you can get a flight to Moscow, you can get vaccinated there. As a foreigner, it will not be for free (it's for free for Russian citizens), but you can.
Your 2 is interesting because from what I have read it seems that Pfizer and Sputnik are about at the same level. Sputnik does some smart things (like using two different shots to reduce reactions) and Pfizer has good numbers. AstraZeneca is the one nobody wants over here in Europe. Moderna is a bit less discussed in the media.
Funny that nobody
Re: (Score:2)
I cannot think of anyone, including Russian expats I know, who are likely to hop on a plane to Moscow for a vaccine that is about $38 locally, that's not sensible, esp. if their insurance would cover it. I would not get on a plane, unvaccinated, for just about any reason regardless.
AstraZeneca had bad press early on and is thus distrusted, but even their latest numbers do not seem to rate above J&J. And yes, China is right now the largest victim of politics. Ordinarily Russia has the reputation of being
Well, it worked before, so why not try it again? (Score:1)
We donâ(TM)t want lack of faith in an experimental vaccine to cut into the bottom line, so letâ(TM)s just say that all the information about possible side-effects and long term health damage from mRNA vaccines(still to be determined) isnâ(TM)t true, itâ(TM)s just those pesky Russians again trying to hurt America!
Re: (Score:2)
mRNA vaccines were developed during the SARS and MERS epidemics. If mRNA vaccines were a problem as a class, we've had plenty of time for it to show up.
Re: (Score:2)
So why then have mRNA vaccines never been approved for use in humans?
They have been. They were approved by the equivalents of the FDA in the countries that were affected by the SARS and MERS epidemics.
They have not been approved by the FDA because those epidemics were not in the US. There's no reason to seek FDA approval for a vaccine that you're not going to use in the US.
Ongoing since last summer ... (Score:5, Insightful)
Russian propaganda started attacking the Oxford AstraZeneca, even saying that it will turn people into apes (because the vector virus is based on Chimpanzee adenovirus).
Here is an article from Aug 2020 [go.com]. Here is another from October 2020 [nypost.com].
Russia overhyped its Sputnik V vaccine before any tests were completed (saying things like : "we are the first in the world to make a COVID vaccine", "it is our gift to the world"). It also started vaccinations before the trials are over.
The result: even Russians are reluctant to take the vaccine [bbc.com].
In the end, it is the anti-vaxxers who win this, and everyone else loses ...
Re: (Score:2)
You say that like it's a bad thing.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, I think Darwin was totally wrong. ... :-)
Apes evolved from humans
Here we go again ... (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Exactly. If it's presented without evidence, it's only an indication of what they want you to believe.
Republicans will have their heads explode (Score:1, Troll)
Re: (Score:2)
Disinformation? It's an ad! (Score:2)
An ad for the Russian vaccine.
What else did you expect that they would say?
Funny .... i've only seen attacks on Sputnik... (Score:2)
Is this another case of accusing Russia of doing what the US is doing, much like what we've just found out about how the UK is doing exactly what it accused Russia of doing via bellingcat and other asshole organisations?
Not all disinformation (Score:2)
The vaccines are being distributed under "emergency use authorization", they haven't gone through normal approval process.
Re: (Score:1)
"Pot calling kettle black" pretty much fingerprints you as Russian. Hello comrade! How is the weather in Moscow today?
Hint: Work on your determiners.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
"You can search and replace a Guardian article and it will look like a RT article and vice versa."
Yeah, not so much. RT is full on anti West. Yes, they occasionally point out some of our actual stupidity, but never any from their own direction.
Re:And what was USA/UK campaign doing last year? (Score:5, Interesting)
USA and allies which spent half of last year organizing a dirt campaign against Sputnik
That's an absurd comparison.
Series of events:
1) Sputnik completed a trial with 200 people in late July.
2) In Mid August Russia approved Sputnik for general availability and claimed that they were the "First" approved vaccine.
3) The entire scientific community reacted negatively. Including heads of the Russian science academies calling the approval, with zero published efficacy or safety data, wildly premature.
That's just scientists calling a Kettle a Kettle. Russia approved Sputnik for general availability prior to actually knowing if it worked. Now you could say "Well these are extraordinary times so we should take risks."
But the story goes deeper. It was estimated that there were only going to be about 40,000 doses available by the end of October. That's smaller than Pfizer's phase 3 study. So even though Pfizer wasn't "Approved"... it was still going to vaccinate more people than Sputnik in that time frame." But unlike a 'general availability' there would be a placebo arm and it would be a well controlled study.
Well, surprisingly Russian politicians relented and backtracked and saw that the world was not going to just buy a vaccine without a phase 3 trial and they started the phase 3 trials that "They were going to do all along!" with their limited supply.
Now I've seen some trolls (in broken English) insist that "The West" just mis-interpreted the announcement. They say that Russia just has a different regulatory framework and in order to conduct a trial you have to approve it for general use. Which is A) Absolutely bullshit and untrue. B) Would completely invalidate Vladimir Putin's claims on television that Russia was "The First" and "ahead" of everybody else... since Pfizer and Moderna had both already begun their phase 3 trials by the time Sputnik was "Approved". The only metric that Sputnik was ahead on was the fact that it was approved without an efficacy trial. It wasn't the first to start an efficacy trial so you can't claim even that. There is nothing it objectively "first" to accomplish except put out a press release.
And the western media was not alone in criticizing Putin for declaring something works before it made it through any clinical trials--the western media also criticized Trump for declaring that the vaccines would be safe and effective before the trial completed. Anybody declaring the results of a study (or trial) before the evidence has been seen corrupts and delegitimizes the impartiality of the conclusion. My state went so far as to join a coalition of states that independently reviews the phase 3 studies because Trump so clearly indicated that he was interfering with the scientific process which is supposed to be free of political meddling.
Sputnik was widely criticized by the global scientific community because its approval was a sham based on no public evidence and announced before a trial took place. And once there was a Phase 3 trial, you have to question whether it was actually performed independently and free of bias when political meddling was already publicly seen.
Re:The US literally did the exact same thing (Score:5, Insightful)
The US literally did the exact same thing with the Russian and the Chinese vaccines. They announced that they were releasing their vaccine to the general public a few months before the US versions were ready, and the US threw up (technically true, but no less FUD-y) narratives about how the hadn't been tested to the levels they should have been. Of course, now we know that both the Russian and the Chinese vaccines are adequately effective against Covid and are safe.
Technically true narratives? How dare they!!!!
Re: (Score:2)
FUD is typically technically true.
Re: (Score:2)
No, FUD is typically wild speculation about what MIGHT happen in the future.The starting point might be pure fact, but where it ends up is as a work of fiction (even if that fiction might become true)
Re: (Score:2)
No, FUD is typically wild speculation about what MIGHT happen in the future.The starting point might be pure fact, but where it ends up is as a work of fiction (even if that fiction might become true)
How is that not literally exactly what we are talking about with regard to the misinformation spread about the vaccines?
Re:The US literally did the exact same thing (Score:4, Informative)
We know that ONE Russian vaccine (Sputnik V) is effective, as they published in the Lancet. We don't know much about other Russian vaccines and any Chinese vaccine so far.
https://www.thelancet.com/jour... [thelancet.com]
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1)
Just because you survive a single round of Russian Roulette doesn't mean it's a safe game.
I suspect they gambled because their population is more controllable, or at least they believe it is. (Being controllable isn't necessarily always a good thing, I'm just looking at the leaders' thought processes.)
Re: (Score:2)
Note that much of the most vicious anti-Russian propaganda is from current or former subject states, such as East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and the Ukraine. It's difficult to forget a tune that was so forcefully taught, and for the Ukraine had the tune retaught as recently as 2015.
Re: (Score:2)
The Russian trrops were not welcome, according to the residents of the Ukraine. That especially includes those imprisoned in Soviet and later Russian political concentration camps, such as Oleg Sentsov. See https://www.nytimes.com/2019/0... [nytimes.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Ah, yes, the "genetic fallacy", the idea that by merely insulting a source it effectively refutes the claims made by that source. Sadly for the logic, in this case, Olege Sentsov was a Russian political prisoner with first-hand experience of their political dissident camps. Other articles about his imprisonment include https://ukraineworld.org/artic... [ukraineworld.org] .
Apparently, Premier Putin himself admitted to the use of Russian troops, without uniform insignia, in the invasion of the Ukraine territory of Crimea and
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Ask the people who lived there and whose local government was replaced at gunpoint by Russian troops. Like the modest number of Austrians who welcomed the German invasion of Austria in 1938, some saw the invasion by racially similar invaders as a liberation to their joint heritage. Most did *not*, and are just keeping their heads down. That also saw startlingly little fighting: they were faced by overwhelming force with millions of troops just over the boarder.
Better yet, ask the Ukraine judge who convicted