Vaccinations Begin in Moscow Even Though Testing Not Complete, Doses Not Sufficient, and Shots Not a Panacea

Paul Goble

            Staunton, December 5 – Mass vaccinations began in Moscow today at 70 sites designated for that purpose, but medical specialists warned that this is happening before testing is complete, before Moscow can produce enough of the vaccine, and without a clear recognition that shots alone won’t end the pandemic (t.me/COVID2019_official/2118,  rusmonitor.com/v-rossii-zapustili-vakczinacziyu-ot-covid-19-no-proizvodstvo-ne-spravlyaetsya.html and mnews.world/ru/news/vakcina-moshnyj-instrument-no-ne-panaceya).

            Russian officials reported registering 28,782 new cases of infection, a record, and 508 new deaths (t.me/COVID2019_official/2119 and regnum.ru/news/3133708.html). Moscow officials said that they haven’t and won’t hide data about the pandemic (regnum.ru/news/3133603.html), but there is little reason to believe them.

            Not only have many analysts shown the figures to be modified, but now Karelia, the region with the second highest rate of infection (St. Petersburg is the highest), says it won’t report publicly figures because they are no longer important to the population (vk.com/wall419407976_426782 and kp.ru/daily/21712096.5/4333298/).

            At the same time, medical experts are warning that there is likely to be a sharp spike over the New Year’s holiday (regnum.ru/news/3133729.html), one reason that seven regions have now made December 31 a public holiday in hopes of keeping people at home (lenta.ru/news/2020/12/05/31/).

            The rising number of infections has also prompted more lockdowns, more quarantines, and more restrictions on the number of people who can attend any public function (regnum.ru/news/society/3132609.html, regnum.ru/news/3133816.html, kp.ru/online/news/4108014/ and echo.msk.ru/news/2753280-echo.html).

            On the vaccine front, the government has announced that the two immunization shots will cost 1942 rubles (26 US dollars), and virusologists say that despite the government’s suggestion that people not drink for a period after getting the vaccine, a glass of champagne is entirely safe and appropriate (novayagazeta.ru/news/2020/12/05/166208-minzdrav-zaregistriroval-predelnuyu-otpusknuyu-tsenu-na-vaktsinu-sputnik-v-ona-sostavit-1942-za-dva-komponenta and

rbc.ru/society/05/12/2020/5fcb7a249a7947474662fe0f).

             Meanwhile, in other pandemic-related developments in Russia today,

·         Sociologists say that Russia won’t get the usual New Year’s bounce in public feelings about the country and its future (regnum.ru/news/3133648.html).

·         Officials are blaming the rise in price for thermometers and medicines on the number needed for treating the pandemic (regnum.ru/news/3133645.html).

·         And police in St. Petersburg detained commentator Valery Solovey for not wearing a mask (echo.msk.ru/news/2753318-echo.html).