Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – France on Friday (26/3/2021) accused Russia of using the Sputnik V vaccine as a tool to spread Moscow’s influence and message rather than as a way to fight the global health crisis called Covid-19.
“In terms of how it is managed, it (the Sputnik V vaccine) is more of a means of propaganda and aggressive diplomacy than a means of solidarity and health assistance,” Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France Info radio.
Jean-Yves Le Drian added that both Russia and China used their vaccines to gain influence abroad “before even vaccinating their own populations”.
Furthermore, the minister said Russia had announced “with much media attention” that it would deliver 30,000 doses of vaccine to Tunisia.
“But the UN-backed COVAX initiative has delivered 100,000 doses to the north African country, with another 400,000 due in May,” he said.
“That is what real solidarity is like, that is true health cooperation.”
Russia registered Sputnik V in August, ahead of a large-scale clinical trial, sparking concern among many experts over the fast-track process.
Subsequent reviews have been largely positive, with results from the leading medical journal The Lancet showing it is safe and more than 90% effective.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) this month launched a rolling review of Sputnik V, a key step towards being approved as the first non-Western coronavirus injection used across the block.
The vaccine has previously come under heavy criticism in Western countries, while President Vladimir Putin has found this skepticism “strange”.
(roy/roy)
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