What a gift: Russia offers UN staff free virus vaccines

MOSCOW » What do you do when Vladimir Putin offers you Russia’s new coronavirus vaccine, for free?

United Nations staff in New York and around the world are now facing that choice, after the Russian president offered Tuesday to provide them the Sputnik-v vaccine in a speech to this year’s General Assembly marking the body’s 75th birthday.

Only results from small early studies on Russian vaccine have been published, raising concerns among some scientists that the vaccine isn’t ready yet for widespread use — and prompting worldwide memes about potential bizarre side effects.

“Any one of us could face this dangerous virus. The virus has not spared the staff of the United Nations, its headquarters and regional entities,” Putin said in a prerecorded speech from Moscow. The coronavirus pandemic means this year’s General Assembly is a work-from-home production, for the first time in its history.

“Russia is ready to offer U.N. workers the necessary, qualified help, and in particular we propose to supply our vaccine for free to employees of the organization and its subsidiaries who volunteer for vaccination,” said Putin, who announced the vaccine to broad fanfare last month and said his own daughter is among those who have taken it.

He described Tuesday’s offer as a response to popular demand: “Some colleagues from the U.N. have asked about this, and we will not remain indifferent to them.”