- COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and no shortcuts were taken that could affect safety.
- But the U.S. State Department finds that Russian websites are fueling misinformation about authorized COVID-19 vaccines.
- The websites involved have questioned the efficacy of the vaccines and exaggerated the risk of side effects.
Russian intelligence agencies are using online platforms to undermine confidence in COVID-19 vaccines being used in the United States, State Department officials said.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported March 7 on this misinformation campaign.
An additional report from the Alliance for Securing Democracy found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia along with other countries including Iran have tried to portray their response to the outbreak as superior to that of the United States and other western governments.
The U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center identified three Russian websites — New Eastern Outlook, News Front, and Oriental Review — that are spreading this misinformation and are linked to Russian intelligence.
Source: healthline