By John Ikani
Russia has complained about the lack of international recognition for its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine at the G20 Summit, where leaders agreed to step up global inoculation efforts.
Earlier this month, South Africa refused to approve the Russian jab despite the country’s dire need for vaccines, claiming it could increase the risk of HIV infection among men.
Sputnik V also lacks regulatory approval in the EU and the US.
In an apparent reference to the failure of Russia’s Sputnik V to win foreign regulatory approval, President Vladimir Putin on Saturday urged G20 Health Ministers to discuss the mutual recognition of vaccines and vaccination certificates “as soon as possible”.
“Despite the decisions of the G20, not all countries in need can have access to anti-Covid vaccines,” the Russian President said in video message to counterparts that were retransmitted on Russian State television.
“This happens mainly because of dishonest competition, protectionism and because some states, especially those of the G20, are not ready for mutual recognition of vaccines and vaccination certificates,” Putin added.
Chinese President Xi Jinping – who, like Putin, did not travel to Rome for the G20 Summit and participated by video link – made a similar call for the mutual recognition of vaccines, according to Chinese State media.
Putin and Xi were said to have avoided traveling to Italy because of tightening coronavirus restrictions in their home countries.
In Russia, where new cases are spiking despite the availability of the Sputnik V jab, Putin ordered a week-long paid holiday starting Saturday in a bid to contain the spread of the virus.
Russian authorities on Saturday that daily infection numbers had risen to 40,251, a record since the start of the pandemic, with only 32.5 percent of the population fully vaccinated.
Discussions at the two-day Summit in Rome of G20 leaders — their first meeting in person since the global coronavirus pandemic — also included climate change and threats to the global economic recovery.
Their meeting was preceded on Friday by G20 Finance and Health Ministers’ discussions, in which they also cited the urgency of meeting the 70 percent vaccination target by the middle of next year.
To meet the objective, they committed to “take steps to help boost the supply of vaccines and essential medical products and inputs in developing countries and remove relevant supply and financing constraints.”
