Putin Receives Sputnik V Vaccine

Vladimir Putin received the coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday, March 23 (Wikimedia Commons).

Russian President Vladimir Putin was vaccinated against COVID-19 on March 23. His dose was the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine. 

The Sputnik V vaccine, named after the historic Russian space satellite, is 92 percent effective against COVID-19. Sputnik V, Moderna, and Pfizer are currently the only three vaccines with an efficacy rate higher than 90 percent. 

Despite Sputnik V’s efficacy, the Russian people seem worried about its safety. In a study conducted by Levada Center in August 2020, 62 percent of Russians said they were unwilling to accept a free vaccine. At least 56 percent of Russians had a negative reaction to a Russian-made vaccine in the same study. 

Putin attempted to address some of these fears in a televised meeting on March 22. “Vaccination is of course the voluntary choice of every person... By the way, I intend to do it myself tomorrow.” 

Dimitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson, assured Russians of the safety of all Russian-made vaccines: Sputnik V, KoviVak, and EpiVacCorona. “All three Russian vaccines are absolutely reliable, very good, and effective,” he said.  

In contrast to these public messages of support, Putin declined to get vaccinated on camera. When asked for his rationale, he responded that he “doesn’t want to monkey around.” 

Russian officials are concerned about vaccine hesitancy. Of the country’s 144 million people, only 4 million are fully vaccinated, and just 2 million more have received their first dose of the vaccine. A March poll echoed the August sentiments of mistrust, with two-thirds of the public not wanting to get Sputnik V.

Many misconceptions exist in Russia regarding COVID-19 and vaccines. In a March poll from the Levada Center, 2 in 3 Russians believed that COVID-19 was a bioweapon created by humans. That same poll found that 56 percent of Russians are not afraid of catching the deadly virus at all. 

With the public understanding of the health crisis so low, Kremlin officials ask for trust. Peskov said the people will “have to take our word for it” that the vaccines are safe and effective.