Russian diplomat secretly gets Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, avoids home-grown Sputnik V

Yuri Gribkov, who is Russia’s consul general to Estonia, got the Pfizer jab that is dubbed as ‘shot of death’ by pro-Kremlin media

The episode is likely to raise awkward questions for Gribkov upon his return to Russia, as Moscow has not approved any other vaccine

Reading Time:3 minutes

Russian diplomat Yuri Gribkov leaves a hospital in Estonia on January 26. Photo: Delfi/The Daily Beast

Published: 9:12pm, 29 Jan 2021Updated: 9:15pm, 29 Jan 2021

A top Russian diplomat has admitted getting the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, shunning the Sputnik V shot developed by his own country.

Yuri Gribkov, who is Russia’s consul general to Estonia, was confronted by a reporter from the Estonian news outlet Delfi on Wednesday as he left a hospital in Ida-Viru, an Estonian town located 51km from the Russian border.

Gribkov’s term as consul general is due to end on Friday. He visited the hospital just after midday on Wednesday for what was his second shot of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine, Delfi reported.

When confronted by the reporter, Gribkov confirmed that he had just received the second dose, according to a video of the interaction published by The Daily Beast, which worked with Delfi on the investigation.

“Pfizer?” the reporter is heard asking. “Yes,” replied Gribkov.

Russia approved the Sputnik V vaccine, developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Research Institute, for emergency use in August 2020, and began inoculating citizens on December 7.