While Norwegians breathe a sigh of relief after the pandemic, the United States and Russia are facing a dark winter.
Russia was the world’s first country to approve a coronary vaccine for its population. It happened in August last year.
“We must thank those who have taken these first and important steps for Russia and the rest of the world,” said a clearly proud Vladimir Putin.
Well over a year later, only 29 percent of the population has been vaccinated. And now Russia is at full speed into a new wave of infection. In Moscow and a number of other big cities, there is a queue of ambulances to the hospitals. The capacity will soon be blown. Infection rates are rising sharply. Almost 900 people die every day. These are the highest numbers since the pandemic started.
The Russian president has put a lot of prestige into the vaccine, which has been named Sputnik, named after the world’s first satellite. Putin called it “the best in the world,” and Russia launched an active campaign to sell the vaccine around the world. So far, almost 70 countries have adopted it.
Putin also ordered mass vaccination. It has not gone exactly as he planned.
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