Refuse to Vaccinate! Questioning Safety of the New Coronavirus Vaccine, Russian Teachers Set Off Anti-Vaccine Action : Do Not Believe Putin

According to US media reports, Russian authorities have listed teachers and doctors as key staff, and they will receive the vaccine first, even before the completion of the key third phase of human trials. But some front-line workers do not buy it. They do not believe Putin's claims about the efficacy of the vaccine, and they do not want to be used as guinea pigs.

On August 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the approval of Russia's 'Sputnik-V' new coronavirus vaccine, saying that it was 'quite effective' in forming a stable immunity. At the same time he revealed that one of his daughters had been vaccinated.

On September 1, Russian classrooms reopened for the first time since March, when there were more than 1 million cases of new coronary pneumonia in Russia. Teachers should have been among the first people to benefit from Russia’s new coronavirus vaccine, especially considering that they have close contact with hundreds of children every day. But CNN understands that so far, very few people (if any) have accepted the vaccination proposal.

According to reports, Russia claimed that it was the first country to approve a new coronavirus vaccine in the global pandemic. This statement initially attracted widespread attention, and its safety and effectiveness were also questioned. These doubts are not only from abroad.

The Russian teachers’ union 'Uchitel' initiated an online petition calling on all teachers to refuse vaccination on the grounds of safety and expressed concern that vaccination (currently voluntary) should not be enforced unless clinical trials are completed.

Yuri Varamov, a teacher in Moscow and a member of the trade union, said that he did not want to get the vaccine because he thought the vaccine was not safe yet.

Varamov said, 'They can't enforce it until the trial is over. But I know that in some schools and state institutions, people are discussing making this vaccine mandatory by the end of this year.'

Marina Baruyeva, co-chair of the 'Uchitel' trade union, said that the petition against compulsory vaccination of teachers is more like a preventive measure. Baruyeva said that she is cautious about 'Sputnik-V' for several reasons. First of all, it is well known that the quality of domestic vaccines is worse than that of foreign vaccines. Second, the vaccine was developed at 'highway speed', which has caused people's concerns. It was developed hastily.

Although the authorities promised that the vaccination will be voluntary, Baruyeva said she fears that the reality may be different. Baruyeva said that the teachers' union has not received any complaints from teachers about compulsory vaccination. However, previous experience has shown that other vaccinations have faced such problems. For example, according to official regulations, seasonal flu vaccines are not mandatory for Russian educators, but voluntary. But it is said that some schools require employees to be vaccinated.

Whether there will be punishment for those who are unwilling to receive the new coronavirus vaccine depends on the principal. Most schools have a so-called 'incentive bonus'. If they are not vaccinated, some teachers may be deprived of the bonus.