Even Doctors Won’t Take Putin’s Vaccine as COVID-19 Rages in Russia

After the Kremlin had all but declared victory against the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia—many across the country now believe they’re back to square one. This month, a raging new wave hit Russia’s big cities. Hospitals quickly turned into “red zones” for infected patients, scientists say they are expecting more than 20,000 new COVID-19 cases a day by the end of June, and all the while, Russian people remain hesitant to take the government at its word. The clearest explanation for this new wave is a failing vaccination campaign, rooted in public distrust in the government’s stamp of approval. Only 10 percent of the population have received both shots—the rest appear to be in no hurry to get their jabs. Some people waited until Putin got vaccinated in late March, others hesitated even after government vaccine researchers said that Sputnik was more than 90 percent effective. Even Russian doctors are undermining scientists by refusing to take Russian-made vaccines.