Vaccination in Russia: Vladimir Putin was vaccinated against the coronavirus far from the cameras (Illustration) – Alexei Druzhinin / AP / SIPA
“If a person wants to feel confident, does not want to get sick and suffer serious consequences after an illness, then it is better to get vaccinated …” Recently immunized, Russian President Vladimir Putin is doing everything to encourage his compatriots to get stung. He urged his population on Sunday to be vaccinated during an interview on public television, deeming the gesture “necessary”.
This call comes as Russia is still struggling to vaccinate its population, nearly four months after the release of its flagship vaccine, Sputnik V. Only 4 million received the two doses and another 2 million the first, or only 4 % of the Russian population, far from the rate posted in other countries such as the United States or the United Kingdom.
Putin himself was vaccinated against Covid-19 on Tuesday during an event that remained private. Explaining this decision on Sunday, he assured that he did not want to “fool around” in front of the cameras. He also did not want to specify which vaccine, among the three developed by his country, he received, while touting their effectiveness, according to him equivalent.
Despite the success of the Sputnik V vaccine, approved in 56 countries, the vaccination campaign is struggling to take off in Russia, weighed down in particular by the mistrust of part of the population.
Objective 70% of vaccinated by the summer
Nearly two-thirds of Russians believe that Covid-19 is a man-made “biological weapon”, and 62% of those surveyed are unwilling to be vaccinated, according to a poll published in early March by the independent Levada center. .
Vladimir Putin, for his part, estimated on Sunday that Russia will be able to lift the rest of the restrictions due to the pandemic when 70% of Russian adults have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. A rate which, according to him, can be reached by next summer.