The Kremlin has dismissed the allegations as “circus”


“Comments on the allegations against Russia are becoming more and more circus-like,” Peskov told a news conference on Friday. “Russia is not misinforming anyone, Russia proudly talks about its success and Russia shares its success related to the first time reported. [coronavirus] Vaccines around the world. ”

“We know that Russia has a track record in this area. Earlier we commented and called it on,” Rabe said in an interview with Sky News.

“But anyone who I think is trying to fundamentally sabotage his efforts to develop a vaccine is reprehensible. It is unacceptable and unreasonable under any circumstances.”

The Times said a “whistleblower” involved in the campaign had reached the paper on the images, citing concerns about possible harm to public health efforts. The newspaper noted that it was not clear whether the campaign was authorized directly by the Kremlin but added. There is evidence that some Russian officials were involved in its organization and dissemination. ”

US authorities are investigating whether the recently released emails, Russian dissolution information Biden, were linked to the target.

“Misinformation is a clear threat to public health. This is especially true during the current epidemic which claims thousands of lives, significantly disrupts our way of life and harms the economy,” said Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca. Statement.

“I urge everyone to use reliable sources of information, rely on regulatory agencies and continue to bring vaccines and drugs of enormous benefit to humanity.”

Disinformation is “negligence and hateful behavior that can cause real harm to people’s health,” said a source in Whitehall, an area in central London where the UK’s chief ministers are based. “This kind of lie fundamentally harms all of us around the world and we need to be careful to identify and combat this type of activity in order to support the provision of real information for all people about Covid-19 and the vaccine.”

When asked to comment on the article, a Kremlin spokesman in turn accused the UK of spreading ambiguity about the Russian vaccine, indicating that it was a testament to unfair competition in the vaccine race.

“Russia already has documents of intent to sell or jointly manufacture this vaccine in a number of countries, and of course, Russia does not shy away from providing information in these countries. [the public] About the benefits of our vaccine, “Peskov said.” A number [producers] Who can be called competitions, they are the ones involved in the disinformation, the disinformation agents are sitting in other places in the UK. ”

According to the Times, the campaign aims to “target countries like India and Brazil where Russia is trying to market its vaccines” as well as Western countries that are developing their own vaccines. To date, the Russian Sovereign Property Fund (or RDIF), which sponsors the vaccine, has said it has reached a deal to supply Sputnik V to others and to India and Brazil.

The RDIF said it condemned the social media attack against the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“We condemn today the social media posts intended to defame the AstraZeneca vaccine described by the Times. We believe that any attempt to bring about a vaccine against Gamalya’s Sputnik V vaccine is wrong.” Statement Friday. “All vaccines, of course, must be subject to very strict scientific scrutiny.”

However, the story of the “monkey vaccine” has been voiced by Russian officials and state media.

In September, following news of AstraZeneca’s suspension in global tests due to an obscure illness, Dmitry Peskov said the British vaccine was less safe than a “monkey vaccine”, while Russian development is and is considered a “human vaccine”. Become “more reliable” by Russian scientists.

Crude images depicting monkeys with “monkey vaccine is good” and similar memes appeared in the Russian state media two days after AstraZeneca stopped. On September 10, the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti published an editorial entitled “Why the West is losing the vaccine species: Russia has been exposed”, with four caricatures on the monkey vaccine with English caption.

AstraZeneca has since resumed trials in the UK. U.S. In, the FDA is considering allowing AstraZeneca to resume its trial after the participant became ill. The issue is whether the disease was flu, or if it was related to the vaccine.

The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which sponsors the development of Sputnik V, said in September that the company was “delighted” to see AstraZeneca trials moving forward, but called the approach “unacceptable” because of its over-reliance on new unrefined technologies. “Involves the use of monkey adenovirus vector or mRNA technique.

In July, however, RDIFA announced that one of its portfolio companies, drug maker R-Firm, had reached a deal with AstraZeneca to produce the Ox Xford vaccine in Russia. The announcement follows warnings that vaccine-linked artists are trying to hack research centers in the UK, US and Canada to gather intelligence about vaccine production. Russia denied any involvement.

RDIF chief Kirill Dimitriev told Reuters at the time that Moscow did not need to steal any secrets as it already had a deal with AstraZeneca to make a possible British vaccine in Russia.

The cell line and adenovirus vector have been transferred to Russia, R-Firm said in a July statement; Here it is planned to produce antigen and make ready dose. “At the same time, Russia will become a hub for the production and supply of vaccines in international markets.”

Race inside Russia's coronavirus vaccine laboratory

Asked to comment on Friday when AstraZeneca’s testing and technology halted a threat to a deal with a Russian manufacturer, Dimitriev said: “One of our portfolio companies is producing the AstraZeneca vaccine. And the chimpanzee adenoviral vector approach used by AstraZeneca are both very promising approaches on a solid scientific basis. ”

Gamalea is using adenovirus in their Covid-19 vaccines; The same approach is used in vaccines developed by Oxford and the University of AstraZeneca. The adenovirus delivers the genetic material for the spike protein that sits on top of the virus that causes covid-19, and that genetic material is designed to produce an immune response against the virus.

Adenoviruses can cause a variety of symptoms, including the common cold. Researchers manipulate the virus so that it does not replicate and cause disease.

The Gamlea vaccine is given in two doses, and each dose uses a different adenovirus vector.

Russia recorded its first coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, after testing on 76 volunteers and ahead of large-scale Phase 3 tests. The announcement received much fanfare in the Russian state media, but drew widespread messages from the international community about its safety, with widespread skepticism and the idea that approval was being swiftly approved by political goals. According to Russian officials, Sputnik V is now in its Phase 3 trial, which has so far involved 1,000,000 people and wants to register up to 400,000.

AstraZeneca launched a large-scale Phase 3 human clinical trials in August seeking to register up to 30,000. Such tests are the last step before a vaccine manufacturer seeks regulatory approval.

The second vaccine, Epivaccorona, developed by the former biochemical weapons laboratory Vector, was recorded in Russia this week before undergoing Phase 3 trials. The Chumakov Institute’s third potential Russian vaccine, the first phase of testing, began last week.

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