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© Reuters
Almost two-thirds of Russians do not want to receive the Sputnik V vaccine, and about the same proportion of the population believe that the coronavirus was artificially created as a biological weapon. This is demonstrated by data from a public opinion poll of a representative of Russia carried out by the independent sociological center “Levada”.
It was carried out in February and according to data published on Monday, the greatest reluctance to receive a Russian vaccine is found in the 18-24-year-old group: 75% do not want to and only 19% are ready to be vaccinated.
There are no significant changes in the following age group (25-39 years): 73% do not want to and 22% are ready to inject them with a vaccine. At 45 years of age, there is an imminent change in attitude: 29% approve of vaccination, 64% do not respond. For those surveyed over 55 years of age, there is already an important change: 40% are “in favor” and 49% are against vaccination.
Among the top reasons for refusing, participants indicated side effects (37%), including fever and fatigue, as well as a preference for waiting until the end of the test (23%) or that it usually doesn’t make sense (16%).
At no time during the pandemic has the number of people willing to be vaccinated exceed 50%, and currently its percentage is the highest. There were constantly between 36 and 38 percent willing to defend themselves, and today there are 30 percent.
The origin of SARS-CoV-2 remains a highly politicized issue one year after its official announcement. Most virologists and infectious disease specialists are in the field of those who believe that the coronavirus most likely originated naturally. The WHO announced last month that it was still looking for an explanation for its appearance and how and why middleman had passed on to people, but that it was working on the unlikely version of its release from the lab.
However, 64% of more than 1,600 Russians surveyed in 50 regions of the country said that the coronavirus was created in a laboratory to be used as a biological weapon.
In people aged 40 to 54 this group reaches 71%. Only 23% believe that SARS-CoV-2 arose naturally.
When asked where they mainly hear the news, it turns out that the version of artificial origin is the most popular among those reported by friends and acquaintances (73%). The opposite version is the most popular among users of the messaging network “Telegram”.
In a country of approximately 145 million people, the first vaccine was approved in August and mass vaccination began in December. On February 10, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko announced that more than 2 million Russians had received at least one dose of Sputnik V. Authorities plan to reach 60 million by mid-year.
Today, the director of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, Veronika Skvortsova, said in a meeting with President Vladimir Putin that Russia could begin clinical trials of a long-acting coronavirus vaccine in July, the Kremlin said.
If antibody-based immunity, as a rule, is maintained for months, then cellular immunity – years, and it has been experimentally shown to last up to 13-17 years, said Skovrtsova. According to her, the tests with a large number of volunteers will take several months.
