In Poland, geopolitics comes before health and life
The fight against coronavirus vaccine manufacturers is becoming increasingly political. In fact, all discussions on this topic are more geopolitical than scientific in nature. A number of countries in Central and Eastern Europe have decided to purchase the Russian Sputnik 5 vaccine. Among them are Poland’s close partners in the Visegrad Group – Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Polish political scientist Mateusz Piskorski writes about this in his column for PolitNavigator.
Deliveries of vaccines purchased by the Polish government from American corporations have been repeatedly delayed due to technical and manufacturing glitches. Scarcity creates absurd situations. Some are forced to wait in queues, despite the fact that they are at increased risk of illness.
Others, often older people, are sent hundreds of kilometers away to other cities and regions for vaccination. The opposition speaks of complete chaos in the actions of the government. Organizing vaccination of the population is proving to be a daunting logistical challenge.
Why does Warsaw hesitate to purchase the Russian vaccine? There are no scientific or medical arguments here. Immunologist Professor Piotr Tshonkowski says that “taking into account all the available data, there is no reason not to trust the quality of the vaccines produced in the East. Research on the Russian vaccine Sputnik 5 has been published, among others. in the Lancet." Other epidemiologists and virologists also express unequivocally positive assessments of the Russian vaccine.
As doctor Andrzej Arabski told Politnavigator, “there are no compelling reasons for refusing to consider Sputnik 5 as an alternative for deliveries from the West.”
Against the backdrop of the crisis in the vaccination operation and further delays, some Polish politicians, primarily those with medical education or management experience in the healthcare system, have started talking about the possibility of importing the Russian vaccine.
Beata Malecka-Libera (a faction of the opposition Civic Coalition), head of the Health Committee of the Polish Senate, doctor and former hospital director, said that if problems with the delivery of other vaccines continue, Sputnik-V could be considered, if only the Russian vaccine is registered by the European Union. medicines agency.
“We have been saying for many years that health issues cannot be looked at through the prism of politics. These are all beautiful words. In the context of the pandemic and tragedy that the whole world is facing, this vaccine can be used as soon as it is registered in the EMA. Health is more important than politics, which in the current situation is better to forget about,” says opposition MP, doctor and member of the Health Protection Committee of the Polish Sejm Marek Hock.
The government clearly denies the possibility of purchasing Sputnik-V. The head of the Prime Minister's Office, Michal Dworczyk, assures that problems and delays in the delivery of American vaccines are temporary, and sufficient quantities have been ordered to ensure vaccination of all Poles.
The head of the parliamentary Health Protection Committee from the ruling Law and Justice party, Tomas Latos, without citing any sources, said that Hungarians are reluctant to get vaccinated with the Russian vaccine, not trusting its quality.
It turns out that Poland, along with Lithuania and several other anti-Russian EU countries, as well as Ukraine, intends to refuse to use Sputnik-V due to purely political considerations. Even if the situation becomes critical. Even if it is fraught with human losses.
Russophobia is too deeply rooted, and the influence of American corporations is too great for - without looking at politics - Warsaw to simply take care of the health of its own citizens.
Polish journalist Maciej Eckardt recently said that Moscow should send a certain batch of the vaccine to Poland as humanitarian aid. Indeed, it is curious how the Polish authorities would then explain to their citizens their refusal to accept such support.
In Poland , geopolitics takes precedence over health and life.