The sudden wave of infections and deaths from the coronavirus and the problem of vaccination have become the main topic of discussion among Russians, including Muslims. The last time, two weeks ago, it was possible to discuss this issue in general terms and to exchange general advice with fellow believers. Now, however, it is possible to discuss the complete managerial and political incompetence of the Russian government, as well as the growing alienation of the population and their lack of trust in it.
The country that loudly proclaimed to the whole world the invention of a «miracle vaccine» against the coronavirus and began to offer it to the world, ended up among the leaders in the number of infections and deaths by the summer of 2021, with one of the lowest vaccination rates. The pro-government propaganda is now trying to shift the blame to the «unconscious people» who refuse to be vaccinated. But why do people not want to be vaccinated? There are two explanations, and both imply that the government is responsible for this situation.
First, there are too many negative facts and doubts about what is offered to Russians for vaccination. There have been many cases of people getting infected despite being vaccinated with the Sputnik vaccine, as well as cases of blatant deception, when people signed up for the Sputnik vaccine but were given the Covivac vaccine, or vice versa. There are also rumors that the vaccine administered in the Presidential Administration and other «privileged» places is Covivac, while the general population is offered another «inferior» vaccine. The situation with domestic vaccines, first promoted and then rejected by the countries that bought or wanted to buy them, and which were not certified in Europe, has exposed a long-standing systemic problem — so-called «import substitution». Many Russians have been able to tolerate the substitution of normal products with those made from palm oil (although the impact on the nation’s health has yet to be assessed). But it is one thing to eat a «cheese product» instead of cheese, and another to inoculate oneself with a vaccine that developed countries refuse.
A reasonable question arises: why not allow Russians to be vaccinated with vaccines that enjoy greater trust, such as Pfizer and Moderna, especially since it would allow them to travel to dozens of countries that do not recognize Sputnik? But the answer is clear: the government, which has deprived the population of the choice of what to receive, will not allow them to choose how to be vaccinated.
Secondly, Russia has a large number of anti-vaccine and anti-CoVID people who do not believe in the «terrible COVID» and believe that they are being implanted with chips, poisoned or made sterile by propaganda. There are such people in all countries, but the question is: why are there so many of them in Russia? And the answer is also known: because for decades Kremlin propaganda has been dumbing down and psychopathizing the population with stories about conspiracies involving the US State Department, Soros, and others. Not surprisingly, all these conspiracy fears were eventually transferred to the Russian government itself, which, as it turns out, is perceived by Russians not as a defender against Soros and the State Department, but as the same evil, or even as their accomplice.
Now the government is trying to solve this lack of trust by resorting to its usual methods — compulsory vaccination. But how can people perceive compulsory vaccination when the government organizes the «Scarlet Sails» festival in St. Petersburg, with thousands of people without masks and without social distance, especially considering that the new Delta variant currently spreading in Russia affects mainly young people, and considering that the previous wave of infections in St. Petersburg was largely associated with the «Euro 2020» tournament held during the pandemic? Of course, with such actions by the government, the idea that it is deliberately committing genocide against its population, and that its vaccines may be one of the means of this genocide, will gain more and more traction.
On the other hand, we would like to remind you that vaccination is carried out by governments that many of our readers hold in high esteem, be it the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan or the Taliban movement. However, we cannot take responsibility for urging our Russian readers to get vaccinated with Sputnik or Covivac, just as we cannot take responsibility for urging them not to do so. Whether or not to get vaccinated should be a personal decision based on individual circumstances. But one thing that can definitely be advised is to take this issue seriously, and regardless of whether you have been vaccinated or not, keep your distance, use masks, gloves and disinfectants when in enclosed spaces with unfamiliar and unverified individuals, and, equally important, strengthen your immune system, including through physical activity outdoors.
As for the Russian government, which is responsible for this situation, it cannot be trusted in any way. Therefore, one should rely only on common sense and one’s own interests, as well as the interests of one’s loved ones and those around them. And the next time your friends want to support this government, remind them that it is responsible for about half a million excess deaths from the coronavirus, about which Putin said a year ago that Russia had «managed to cope with its spread.
*Forbidden in Russia.