In the midst of the current vaccine war, President Vladimir Putin on Thursday (6) used an ancient Soviet symbol to emphasize the effectiveness of Sputink V.
In a meeting with his government at the summit in Moscow, the Russian leader said that although the West has produced what he called innovative vaccines, Russian vaccines are safer and more reliable.
“As simple and reliable as a Kalashnikov rifle,” he said during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova, broadcast live in the country.
The Kalashnikov – also known by the acronym AK-47 – is the best-selling rifle of all time, known for its low production value (compared to other similar armaments) and for almost never braking, working in all climatic situations.
For this reason, the weapon was adopted by armies and rebel groups around the world – in Mozambique the rifle even appears on the country’s flag due to its importance in the war of independence.
In Russia, there is a museum in honor of the AK-47, which displays such products as umbrellas, key chains and even vodka.
Just as the rifle was exported around the world, Putin also tried to use Sputink as diplomatic currency, bringing the vaccinator to developing countries that have struggled to get vaccines produced by American and European companies.
There are, however, doubts about the safety of the Russian vaccine – at the end of April, Anvisa refused permission to use the immunizer in Brazil, for example.
In addition to defending the effectiveness of the immunizer, Putin also revealed Thursday that his country is producing a new vaccine against Covid-19, called Sputnik Light, which only requires the application of a single dose.
According to a statement from the Russian sovereign wealth fund, responsible for financing the development of vaccines in the country, the new immunizer has an effectiveness of 79.4% – in comparison, that of Sputnik V is 91.6% with two doses.
In the meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister, Putin also said he was in favor of breaking the coronavirus vaccine patent. The statement puts the Russian leader on the same side as US President Joe Biden – his biggest rival in international politics.
On Wednesday (5), the White House announced a change from its historic position and began to defend the breach of immunizer patents against Covid-19.