Italy to Begin Producing Russian Covid-19 Vaccine

Italy signs a contract with the Kremlin to manufacture the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, ushering in hope and criticism. (Flickr)

Italy became the first EU country to announce on March 10 that it would produce the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V. Once the Italian Medicine Agency (AIFA) gives its approval, Italy’s decision will be formalized. While the decision promises to speed up Italy’s vaccination efforts, it has created tension with the EU and raised concerns about Russian influence within the bloc. 

The deal, signed with Swiss health-care subsidiary Adienne Srl, signals a growing trend among EU countries, which are growing increasingly impatient with EU regulator European Medicines Agency (EMA). Some EU countries have forged ahead with approving the Sputnik V vaccine, and many more are looking into collaborations with Russia. 

So far, the EMA has only approved the Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Moderna vaccines for use, frustrating many citizens who are anxious to speed up the EU’s slow vaccination rollout. Italy, for example, has only partially vaccinated 7.8 percent of its citizens, while the U.K., which left the EU in 2020, has managed to partially vaccinate 36 percent of its population. 

Having endured the worst of the pandemic for longer than any other country, Italians are excited by the news of an additional vaccine. “I am beyond thankful to science… I couldn’t be happier for and glad for this shot of hope,” one Italian tweeted, using the hashtag #SputnikV.

In addition to keeping Italians healthy, the production intends to bring jobs to some of the regions that have taken the largest economic toll during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While many Western scientists were initially skeptical about the effectiveness of the Russian vaccine, advocates for producing the Sputnik V vaccine point to its independently verified 92 percent efficacy rate.

Even so, the EU remains unimpressed with Italy’s decision to produce the vaccine and Russia’s effort to promote it within the EU. “The Russian initiative to gain a foothold in the EU via the Italian factory seems to be causing a number of problems at the political level,” European Council President, Charles Michel, said. 

Finding a balance between foreign relations and addressing the COVID-19 crisis will be crucial as Italy and the rest of the EU kick their vaccination programs into high-gear. EU leadership and Russian skeptics alike worry that introducing the Sputnik vaccine will only instigate more conflict between countries who adopt the vaccine and those wary of Russian influence. 

This dispute follows a pattern of controversy over Russian influence in the EU, exemplified by heated global disagreement over the completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, scheduled to deliver natural gas from Russia to Germany. In pushing for the completion of the pipeline, Germany put its domestic interests above international concerns. 

Italy’s production of Sputnik V fit into a greater policy narrative for the EU: Should policies that improve domestic situations be pursued, even if they invite Russian influence? The way EU countries answer this question will play a key role in shaping the bloc’s future stance towards international cooperation with Russia and its adversaries.