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On October 19, The Moscow Times reported that Russia had set a new record for COVID-19 fatalities: daily death counts of more than 1,000. Severely sick patients began overwhelming many hospitals. And President Vladimir Putin ordered Russians to take a week off work to stave off the surge in cases nationwide.Ironically, Russia was the first country to announce a COVID-19 vaccine, known as Sputnik V, in August 2020. But one year after the vaccine’s rollout, which had Putin’s backing, only 19 percent of the population had been fully vaccinated with the two required doses. The figure now stands at only about 35 percent.Research shows a high rate of vaccine hesitancy in Russia. Although the motives vary greatly, one factor is mistrust in the government.Putin may be partly to blame. He touted Sputnik V at the release as being safe and effective even though large-scale clinical trials hadn't begun. His claims met skepticism from some Russian medical authorities who urged Russia’s Ministry of Health to revoke Sputnik V’s registration until after the large trials could be completed. Responding to the news of record daily deaths and low vaccination rates, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the persistence of vaccine hesitancy. But he denied that it was tied to Sputnik V or any specific vaccine.This vaccinophobia
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