In August 2020, Russia became the first country to develop a COVID vaccine, Sputnik V. But the reasons for their accelerated launch weren’t just for humanitarian purposes.

Dr. Celine Gounder is the host of EPIDEMIC, a podcast about the science, public health, and social impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. In this excerpt from the podcast she speaks to Bret Schafer, a researcher who studies disinformation, and Judy Twigg, a professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University about how Russian disinformation has stalled vaccination efforts.

Listen to the full-length episode here:

https://www.justhumanproductions.org/podcasts/s1e72-a-world-wide-web-of-covid-conspiracies-graham-brookie-devin-burghart-bret-schafer-judy-twigg

You can listen to full episodes of EPIDEMIC with Dr. Celine Gounder, wherever you get your podcasts.