Disinfo: Vaccines in Georgia are made by Lugar lab, it is more advisable to use Russian-made vaccines

Summary

Both European- and US-manufactured vaccines available in Georgia are unreliable. There is no way to verify that they are really manufactured in Europe or in the United States, and not at the Lugar lab. As for the United States, even if the vaccine manufacturer is verified to be based there, the quality of vaccination controls varies between different US states. Therefore, if one has to get vaccinated, it is better to choose a Russian-manufactured vaccine over a US-manufactured one or the one created at the Lugar lab.

Disproof

Unfounded claims on vaccines, available in Georgia. Both Lugar lab-related and vaccination-related disinformation are recurring pro-Russian narratives. Mythdetector.ge published an infographic on recurring smear campaigns against the Lugar lab in March 2017 and researched conspiracy theories about vaccines in the Georgian media in May 2018. The Georgian National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health, which operates the Lugar Centre, denied that the centre was involved in manufacturing any pharmaceutical or para-pharmaceutical products, including vaccines. The NCDC confirmed that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) combined vaccine supplies in the Georgian healthcare network were manufactured in Belgium and the United States, while the H1N1 swine flu vaccine was made in France. They are exactly the same vaccines as used in their countries of manufacture and are generally authorised for use anywhere because these vaccines are prequalified by the WHO and are also authorised by the European Medicine Agency. The vaccines available in Georgia are also authorised and available in Russia, as listed on the web site of the Russian Register of Pharmaceutical Agents (see links to Russian registration certificates for Priorix, M-M-R II, and Vaxigrip). Click here for background about the disinformation campaigns around vaccines.

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Asaval-Dasavali (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 140
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 25/02/2019
  • Outlet language(s) Georgian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Georgia, US, Russia
  • Keywords: vaccination, Lugar Laboratory, Russian superiority
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Disinfo: The West is getting rid of the Bulgarian weapons supplier to Ukraine

The West is getting rid of Bulgarian weapons supplier to Ukraine, Emilian Gebrev, for two reasons. On the one hand, the West wants to accuse Russia of poisoning him. On the other hand, it wants to get rid of witnesses to military crimes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Feb 24, 2019
Disproof

No evidence given. This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the Skripal poisoning. For more examples see here. Gebrev admitted that he had contracts with Ukraine, but insisted they were "peanuts, small amounts, low tech". For background: Emilian Gebrev fell into a coma in April 2015, along with his son and one of his company directors. They survived the suspected poisoning, but the case was never solved. On March 4th 2018, the Skripals were poisoned in Salisbury with Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia. In October 2018, Gebrev approached Bulgarian prosecutors with the results of laboratory tests from 2015, which he believed showed he could have been poisoned with a nerve agent similar to Novichok. Britain and Bulgaria are currently jointly investigating the 2015 poisoning of a Bulgarian arms dealer to determine whether it involved Novichok. Novichok is known to be more powerful than VX and was developed in Russia in the 1970s and 1980s. It is so unusual that very few scientists outside of Russia have any real experience in dealing with it and no country outside of Russia is known to have developed the substance. See reports by CNN, BBC, the Guardian.

Disinfo: Moldovan parliament ready to give up on Transnistria for the EU and NATO

The Moldovan parliament is ready to give up on Transnistria in order to join the EU and NATO. Romania announced that it wants to make Moldova part of a Great Romania.

Feb 24, 2019
Disproof

No evidence given. This is a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about Moldova and Romania, specifically focused on questioning Moldova's integrity and undermining Moldova's EU aspirations. There is no evidence that Romania is considering annexing Moldova. Regarding Transnistria, the speaker of the Moldovan Parliament, Andrian Candu, said in an interview: "I am sure that once - although, unfortunately, not tomorrow and, apparently, not in the near future - but in the medium term, we will be able to agree on the return of Transnistria in the status of autonomy and the beginning of reintegration".

Disinfo: The Bulgarian people support Venezuela

The Bulgarian people support Venezuela. On 23 February, people gathered in Sofia to partake in an anti-US rally to support Venezuela. The US intervention in other countries domestic politics truly infuriates Bulgarian people. All progressive people believe the US is a sponsor of terrorism and upheaval in the world. Nowadays, the US criminal authority is illegally transporting weapons into Venezuela, which is eerily similar to the situation in Ukraine in 2014.

Feb 24, 2019
Disproof

Recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative on US interference in Venezuela, presented without evidence. Similar cases can be found here and here. See background information on other Venezuela-related conspiracies. The claims that the "Bulgarian people supports Venezuela" seem overstated. The pictures, provided by the disinformation outlet, shows a rather small number of participants in the demonstration in support of Venezuelan President Maduro.