– “What a big propaganda push there is, complete with media articles…”
You must consume a lot more “news” media than me.
– “I’m guessing that a significantly greater proportion of the population gets annual flu jabs in Britain than in Russia”
Possibly, or maybe it makes no difference, or maybe flu jabs even help. That’s what cohort studies and case-control studies are for.
But consider the first order effects first, and in the case of an infection that multiplies as fast as covid-19, that’s timing. Russia’s lower mortality totals are the result of their stronger and especially earlier social restrictions. 8 deaths at time of lockdown in Russia, versus 359 in the UK, and Russia started taking precautions in February.
– “Both compulsory testing and compulsory vaccination must be resisted.”
There’s nothing quite as thrilling as counting your vultures before they’ve hatched.