MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/. Widespread use of Sputnik V could solve the problem of insufficient distribution of vaccines around the world, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet approved the Russian vaccine for bureaucratic reasons, Vladimir Krugly, a member of the Federation Council committee on social policy and an honored Russian doctor, said on Thursday.

"The resolution indicates that the global distribution and use of vaccines was neither equitable nor sufficient, despite the COVAX mechanism. The use of Sputnik V could have significantly improved the situation," Krugly said during a debate on a resolution on measures by states to counter the coronavirus pandemic at the January session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

The senator pointed out that "the Russian vaccine Sputnik V has not yet been approved by the WHO," yet it is recognized and used in more than 70 countries, including members of the Council of Europe. "More than 200 million people have been vaccinated with it to date. It has been shown to be effective and safe in numerous studies," the politician added.

"The Russian Federation cooperates with the WHO on the issue of vaccine approval, WHO experts have never reported any negative properties of this vaccine, explaining in their comments the delay in approval only for bureaucratic reasons," the senator continued.

Krugly stressed that vaccination should be voluntary, as "no one can be subjected to political or social pressure" on this issue. According to him, "these principles must remain unchanged," but in some countries, vaccination is forced by fines, cancellation of social benefits, etc. "These measures do not lead to the desired result, but on the contrary, as practice shows, cause many thousands of protests and increased social tensions," said the senator, noting that water cannons are used to suppress protests in cold weather, violating democratic norms.