The Covid-19 pandemic has been accompanied by a flood of disinformation globally, with Central Europe being no exception. One of the most prominent targets of disinformation is currently vaccination, with a special focus on discreditation of Western vaccines, while often promoting the Russian vaccine Sputnik V. Disinformation sites suggest they contain a chip which will record peoples’ personal data, or even that they contain tissue fragments from aborted human fetuses. Many of those narratives have been adopted and amplified by pro-Kremlin channels.
Pro-Kremlin groups on social media have been gradually flooding the online space, urging people not to believe in the efficacy of the vaccine against coronavirus, often arguing that the vaccine has been developed suspiciously fast.
These narratives spread by local actors in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland closely resemble official statements made on Russian state channels. Notably, Dmitry Kiselyov argued that the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech was impractical and ineffective due to the difficulties in transporting and storing it. He also emphasised the effectiveness of the Russian vaccine, suggesting that it is “as safe as the Kalashnikov.”
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