US Intel: Russia Spreading Disinfo On Pfizer Vaccine

The Wall Street Journal reports:

Russian intelligence agencies have mounted a campaign to undermine confidence in Pfizer Inc.’s and other Western vaccines, using online publications that in recent months have questioned the vaccines’ development and safety, U.S. officials said.

An official with the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, which monitors foreign disinformation efforts, identified four publications that he said have served as fronts for Russian intelligence.

The websites played up the vaccines’ risk of side effects, questioned their efficacy, and said the U.S. had rushed the Pfizer vaccine through the approval process, among other false or misleading claims.

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“Russian disinformation campaign aims to undermine confidence in Pfizer, other Covid-19 vaccines, U.S. officials say” excellent new work coming from @SecureDemocracy https://t.co/CB1STVk1ca via @WSJ

— Clint Watts (@selectedwisdom) March 7, 2021