COVID-19 Vaccine: Russia Disinforming Africans Through Social Media

Popular American news outlet The Daily Beast has said a Russia-linked propaganda machine is operating in Africa, using social media platforms, including WhatsApp, to misinform Africans about COVID-19 vaccines emanating from America.

In a two-part investigation on Russian political activities on the continent, the outlet said false messages are being flooded into Africa by “a Russian troll factory” in Ghana, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), etc.—by local agents reportedly recruited by authorities in Moscow.

The latest report released yesterday said a WhatsApp message from Nigeria sent to a phone number in DRC where it was amplified, claimed that COVID vaccines from America were harmful to the immune system and are aimed at reducing the world’s population.

The WhatsApp message, also published on China’s Opera News warned Africans to instead embrace Russia’s coronavirus remedy Sputnik V, which it said is cheaper and has higher efficacy rate at 95%, unlike America’s.

One of the many recipients of the message in DRC was quoted as saying that “vaccines produced in America are dangerous and are aimed at reducing the world’s population.”

American-Russian rivalry has heightened since the race for a coronavirus vaccine began, especially after Russia “rushed” and released Sputnik V, which was discredited by some American scientists who alleged lack of transparency in the drug’s laboratory processes.

“As soon as Pfizer raised its efficacy rate to 95 percent, the Russians announced that their vaccine had reached an efficacy of over 95 percent, making it clear that Moscow is rushing to keep pace with Western pharmaceutical companies in the race for a shot,” the Daily Beast report said.

Russia’s announcement of a remedy had drawn conflicting reports from western media; while some said it was commendable, others said it didn’t follow due process and that Russians were being offered about $2,000 to volunteer for its testing yet they declined as they had no confidence in the drug.

A different investigative report in November by US-based Politico said Russia, targeting especially developing countries, has been de-marketing western COVID remedies while promoting its own through “a disinformation campaign” on social media. Facebook recently closed over 500 accounts and pages on Instagram and Facebook over “foreign interference” linked to Russia.

Even in Central African Republic, Russian military forces were—and are still—on ground in Sunday’s general elections, deepening the country’s new diplomatic foothold on the continent.

The report said Russia’s history of spreading false information in Africa goes as far back as three decades.

“In the 1980s, a disinformation campaign by the Soviet Union which blamed the US for the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa created doubts in parts of the continent about the genuineness of the disease. These doubts, in addition to stories of unproven AIDS cure that became widespread in the 21st century, kept people from seeking medically proven treatments. Today, the continent has the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the world.”

With the wide reach of WhatsApp in much of the African countries where said disinformation is taking roots, many citizens have vowed never to take any vaccine, at least not one from America, the investigation stated.