Announcement of Covid-19 vaccine approval in Russia met with doubts

The global status is important for Vladimir Putin, whose popularity has declined amid a stagnant economy and the ravages of the virus.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Health Ministry gave its approval for the vaccine after it underwent the necessary tests. File picture: Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool

The announcement on Tuesday by Russian president Vladimir Putin that his country was the first to approve a coronavirus vaccine has been met by doubts about the science and safety.

However, it has also underscored how the competition to have the first vaccine is about international rivalries as well as science.