Russia says Sputnik vaccine Twitter account blocked

Russia said on Thursday that the Twitter account of the much-touted Sputnik V, the country’s coronavirus vaccine, has been blocked.

“Sputnik V account @sputnikvaccine has been restricted. We are looking into the reasons for this,” the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the sovereign wealth fund, which has financed the development of Sputnik, said in a statement.

“Via Twitter, we have shared all the information and we’ve been open and transparent on how the vaccine works.”

Russia in August registered Sputnik V — named after the Soviet-era satellite — months ahead of Western competitors but before the start of large-scale clinical trials, which left some experts wary.

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Russia’s vaccine was the world’s best and tasked officials with launching mass coronavirus vaccinations from next week.