Russia and China trying to sabotage the vaccination campaign, warns US intelligence chief

Washington: – US Intelligence Chief William Evanina warned that Russia and China are trying to sabotage the Coronavirus vaccination campaign. Last month, US investigation agency Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had also issued a severe warning regarding this. FBI had also accused that the Russian and Chinese hackers are trying to steal the research regarding the Coronavirus vaccine. Extensive vaccination campaigns have started in the United Kingdom, the European countries, and the United States. The US campaign is named Operation Warp Speed, and the first dose of the vaccine has been administered to 9 million US citizens. The United States has signed agreements with Pfizer and Moderna companies for the vaccine. Along with the vaccination drive, the US health department is working with military and secret agencies.

During a program organised in this connection, William Evanina, Director of the United States National Counterintelligence and Security Centre, warned about the vaccination campaign’s obstacles. Evanina warned, ‘This is a very complex problem. The US administrative agencies and military are striving for the successful implementation of Operation Warp Speed. Some adversary countries are creating obstacles in the vaccine’s movement from one part of the country to the other. The necessary supply chain for smooth deliveries of the vaccine has been planned. Russia and China are these adversary countries.’

Before the US intelligence chief, the FBI and the multinational company IBM also had warned that the supply chain for the vaccination campaign would be targeted. Tonya Ugoretz, the senior official in the FBI, also had warned regarding the adversaries. Ugoretz had said that attempts would be made to enter the companies and groups involved in the vaccine’s manufacture and distribution. At the same time, the FBI had also warned regarding possible cyberattacks.

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the company IBM had issued an alert that there will be cyberattacks on the Corona vaccine supply chain. The warning issued was that the storages for vaccine and transport companies would be targeted.

Although the vaccination campaign has been started in the United States, it is being complained that the speed is very low. Reports of many of the US states not following the prescribed criteria are being received. Against this background, the warnings issued regarding the supply chain become significant.

Meanwhile, nearly 4,500 Coronavirus deaths have been reported in the United States in the last 24 hours, thus taking the total number to 381,000. 230,000 new Coronavirus cases were reported on Tuesday. Agencies informed that 34,502 Coronavirus deaths had been reported in the first 12 days of the new year.