"Strange", according to Vladimir Poutine, "biased" according to the promoters of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V. The remarks made Sunday evening by European Commissioner Thierry Breton, according to whom Europe did "not need" this anti -Covid, have gone badly.
To the point of further straining relations between the European Union and the country of the tsars.
In Moscow, it is indeed suggested that the reasons for not using the vaccine would be political.
"The opinion of Commissioner Thierry Breton is clearly biased against Sputnik V simply because he is Russian", notably replied on Twitter the promoters of the solution, less than three hours after the passage of the leader on the television news of TF1.
A reactivity which is not surprising in a well-oiled communication plan for what is presented as a scientific success which Vladimir Poutine regularly congratulates himself on.
Commissioner @ThierryBreton is clearly biased against the Sputnik V vaccine just because it is Russian.
He ignores that is has higher efficacy and better safety record than some other vaccines approved in the EU.
- Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) March 21, 2021
This official Twitter account, created in August 2020 in the name of "sputnikvaccine", shares daily articles to its glory.
He therefore does not hesitate to respond directly, or even to question European officials.
It even offers sponsored tweets, made much more visible.
In mid-January, it was also suspended for less than 24 hours for an unclear reason - a "possible breach of security from Virginia", according to the Russian Sovereign Fund (RDIF), which funded its development. .
“Impactful” communication
These bickering are considered “regrettable” by immuno-oncology researcher Eric Billy.
"Considering the pandemic which strikes the whole world, there should be no vaccine considered as being produced by such or such country", he laments.
But is this really the case or a simple staging of Russia?
"This impactful and extremely reactive communication strategy does not surprise me at all", judges Carole Grimaud Potter, professor of geopolitics of Russia at the University of Montpellier.
And remember: “As for the official Russian media RT and Sputnik;
this vaccine is supported by the State and is a real national issue.
"
Proof of this is that Russian President Vladimir Putin regularly gives of his person.
In August, he announced in person the official launch of phase 3 clinical trials. "We do not force anyone to do anything [...] but we question the interests defended by these people, those of the pharmaceutical companies or those of the pharmaceutical companies. European citizens?
", He pretended to wonder Monday evening following the statements of the European" Mr. vaccine ".
The Russian leader also received his first injection this Tuesday evening ... without knowing whether it is Sputnik V or one of the other two vaccines developed by Russia.
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For its part, Europe defends itself against any discrimination.
In the corridors of the European Commission, it is even insisted that Sputnik "can be a complement to vaccination".
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) also opened, on March 4, a so-called “continuous review” procedure.
"The EMA will assess the compliance of Sputnik V with the usual European standards for efficiency, safety and quality," she wrote in her statement.
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These weeks, experts analyze the data sent to them in real time, before examining a possible valid market authorization request.
Clearly, the procedure takes place according to the usual rules, we are assured.
The main European countries, starting with France, have already indicated and repeated that they would use this vaccine without any problem… provided that it is validated by the EMA.
Everyone will then be free to enter into private agreements with Russia.
Several countries, however, members of the European Union, such as Hungary and Slovakia, did not wait for a possible agreement from the EMA to order doses for the benefit of their populations.
But this decision blew up the Slovak government, some of the ministers disagreeing completely.
"It is in Russia's agenda to criticize and seek to divide the European Union, and this episode shows that it has succeeded", judge Carole Grimaud Potter.
According to this expert, this communication strategy works all the more so as "European citizens are starting to wonder why we do not have this effective vaccine".
Europe would have all the more interest in using Sputnik V as the delays of AstraZeneca and Janssen are delaying the vaccination campaign.
Like AstraZeneca, it is an adenovirus vaccine and therefore much easier to transport and store than messenger RNA products.
“It was produced on the basis of two human adenoviruses, injected during the first and then the second dose,” explains Eric Billy.
According to the results of the phase 3 study published in the scientific journal The Lancet, its overall effectiveness is 91.6%.
“Based on the known data, it cannot be said to be better than messenger RNA vaccines.
I think it is in the same range of efficiency as AstraZeneca ”, points out the researcher.
Doubts about production capacity
But questions relate in particular to production capacities.
Sputnik V is already in use in a total of 53 countries around the world, according to the New York Times tally, which Russian officials regularly brag about.
For lack of sufficient capacity on its soil, Russia has to make agreements with groups abroad for the manufacture of doses.
But could it produce more, and enough for the European market of 450 million inhabitants?
Not immediately, according to Thierry Breton.
"The Russians are having a hard time making it and it will probably be necessary to help them", estimated the European commissioner, according to whom immunity in Europe can be reached in mid-July without calling on Sputnik V. "A vaccine does not has no nationality.
If it is efficient, if it works and we are able to guarantee the traceability of its production, it can be used in Europe ”, they swear in Brussels.
Russia, for its part, announced in early March that it had entered into a first agreement with a site based ... in Lombardy, in northern Italy.
And ensures to be able to provide vaccines to no less than 50 million Europeans, from the month of June.
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These long-distance clashes between Russia and Europe are part of a much broader diplomatic context, also including the United States.
In early March, the Wall Street Journal revealed that US authorities accused several websites, run by Russian intelligence services, of carrying out “disinformation” campaigns targeting other vaccines.
"
It's very clear that Russia is resorting to its old ways, and in doing so potentially puts people at risk as it spreads misinformation about vaccines that we know save lives every day," he said. State Department spokesman Ned Price was officially carried away.
