Medical specialists transport a affected person outdoors a hospital for folks contaminated with the coronavirus illness (COVID-19) in Moscow, Russia October 13, 2021. REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva
BRUSSELS, Oct 21 (Reuters) – A scientific disinformation marketing campaign in Russian media to foster doubts and misgivings about COVID-19 vaccines within the West has backfired because the demise toll in Russia rises to file day by day tolls, a European Union report mentioned on Thursday.
Dealing with a pointy rise in COVID-19 infections and deaths and a widespread reluctance amongst Russians to get inoculated, President Vladimir Putin accredited a authorities proposal on Wednesday for a week-long office shutdown in Russia in the beginning of November to curb the unfold of the virus. read more
The EU examine mentioned Russian state broadcaster RT and different media shops had sown distrust in regards to the efficacy and security of vaccines on their European web sites in quite a lot of languages, together with Russian.
“Disinformation can kill. That needs to be stored in thoughts once we see Kremlin media proceed spreading lies on COVID-19 and the vaccines, even because the demise tolls in Russia are surging,” mentioned the EU examine, entitled “Disinformation Evaluate”.
The Kremlin denies all disinformation allegations by the EU, which produces common studies and seeks to work with Google (GOOGL.O), Fb (FB.O), Twitter (TWTR.N) and Microsoft (MSFT.O) to restrict the unfold of pretend information.
The EU has documented what it says is Russian disinformation since early on within the pandemic in January 2020, through the bloc’s overseas service EEAS. It’s a part of what the EU says is a broader Russian effort to weaken and divide Western societies.
‘LIES WORK’
Citing its personal database on disinformation, the EU examine mentioned it discovered over 250 instances by Russian outlet Geopolitica.ru that sought to ridicule COVID-19 vaccinations and different measures.
“The declare of the uselessness of the vaccine is repeated in Italian, in Spanish, in English, in Dutch, and in Russian,” the examine discovered.
“The vaccines work. However the lies work as nicely,” the EU report mentioned, noting “a refrain of false claims and conspiracy theories on the vaccine … risking the lives of 1000’s uponr 1000’s of individuals, internationally and in Russia.”
Russia on Thursday reported 1,036 coronavirus-related deaths within the final 24 hours in addition to 36,339 new infections, each file day by day highs, and Moscow’s mayor introduced COVID-19 lockdown measures from Oct. 28. read more
Russia was fast to develop and launch its Sputnik vaccine when the pandemic struck final 12 months, however uptake has been sluggish, with many Russians citing mistrust of the authorities and concern of latest medical merchandise.
Solely round 48 million out of 144 million Russians had been totally vaccinated as of mid-October, with 51 million having acquired one shot, a a lot decrease stage of inoculation than in western European nations.
Reporting by Robin Emmott
Modifying by Gareth Jones
Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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