Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Slams U.S. Over Brazil Coronavirus Vaccine Pressure

Brazil’s health ministry has signed a contract for 10 million Sputnik V doses to be delivered between April and June. Joedson Alves / EPA / TASS

Moscow has accused the United States of targeting its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine by pressuring Brazil to reject it, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund that markets the jab worldwide said Monday.

An annual U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report published in January said officials had worked to dissuade Latin American countries from accepting aid from “ill-intentioned states” including Russia, Cuba and Venezuela.

“Examples include using OGA’s [HHS Office of Global Affairs] Health Attaché office to persuade Brazil to reject the Russian Covid-19 vaccine,” the report said.

Brazil, with a population of 212 million, has counted nearly 280,000 coronavirus fatalities, the world’s second-highest death toll behind the U.S. The country's second wave fueled by a new strain that is at least twice as contagious as the original is claiming an average of over 1,800 deaths per day.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund took to Twitter to single out the HHS excerpt and accuse the U.S. of waging an anti-Sputnik V campaign.

We believe countries should work together to save lives. Efforts to undermine the vaccines are unethical and are costing lives,” it said via Sputnik V’s official account.

An HHS spokesperson denied the report, telling Russia’s RBC news website that it’s “not in the position” to talk Brazil or any other country out of accepting approved vaccines.

The Kremlin on Tuesday called foreign pressure against the use of Russian-made Covid-19 vaccines “egotistical” and said it favors “as many as possible” vaccines on the market. It didn't address the U.S. report specifically, however.

RDIF made the remarks two days after Brazil’s health ministry signed a contract to buy 10 million Sputnik V doses to be delivered sometime between April and June.

A Brazilian pharmaceutical company is also expected to manufacture Sputnik V through an earlier agreement later in 2021.

On Monday, Brazil’s health minister Eduardo Pazuello said the country has ordered 100 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and another 38 million of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Pazuello said Brazil had secured more than half a billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021.

The latest controversy over U.S. efforts to talk Brazil out of buying Sputnik V comes amid accusations from both Russia and the U.S. of disinformation campaigns against coronavirus vaccines. The Kremlin alleged Friday that western media outlets are preparing reports on Sputnik V’s inefficacy with “staged mass deaths.”

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more