Soviet Newspapers, in Rare Feud, Take Sides in Vaccine Debate

A rare feud broke out Wednesday between two leading newspapers here over the value of a new vaccine for some forms of meningitis.

Differences in the officially controlled Soviet media are extremely rare, but the newspaper Soviet Russia and the weekly Literary Gazette have taken sides in an extraordinary public confrontation that is seen as a byproduct of the new glasnost , or openness, advocated by Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev.

For Soviet readers, accustomed to hearing only one viewpoint on important issues, the airing of the feud must have been a shock, all the more so since the controversy exposes some heated infighting among top officials of the Health Ministry.

Two Who Are Involved

The clash involves Health Minister Sergei P. Burenkov, 63, a candidate member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, and Pyotr N. Burgasov, 71, a doctor of medical science and deputy health minister for more than 20 years.

It also pits the prestige of the venerable Literary Gazette against the upstart Soviet Russia newspaper, which has taken the lead in exposing misconduct in the bureaucracy in recent years.

Soviet Russia is championing the vaccine developed by researchers Tatiana N. Belova and D.D. Yefimov, contending that bureaucratic stodginess has hampered its development.

The newspaper sided with Burgasov, who disagrees with Burenkov, his superior, over the virtues of the vaccine. Soviet Russia even ran a letter from Burgasov that questioned the minister’s scientific credentials and vowed a fight “to the highest level” on the issue.

Accused of Disobedience

Burenkov, replying to questions from Soviet Russia, denied the allegations that the ministry was trying to stifle the vaccine and accused his deputy of flagrant disobedience.

But he promised that additional research would be conducted on the vaccine under Burgasov’s supervision despite his doubts about its effectiveness, the newspaper reported.

In a virtually unprecedented counterattack, however, the Literary Gazette accused the deputy health minister of using unscrupulous methods to discredit senior scientists who questioned the vaccine’s value against some forms of meningitis, a viral or bacteria-induced infection of membranes enveloping the brain and spinal cord.

It suggested a close alliance between Burgasov and the senior researcher, Belova, despite what it called clear evidence of the vaccine’s shortcomings.

The Mystery Remains

“We failed to resolve this mystery,” Literary Gazette reported, implying that the deputy minister was unduly favoring a protege for private reasons.

“It is easy to shape destinies of people, ideas and work when they depend on a move of your finger, a phone call or an order,” the newspaper said, but it added: “Then the higher is your responsibility, and the harsher your punishment, if you abuse the power entrusted to you.”

There are few precedents to go by and no way of forecasting the outcome, Western diplomats said, but Soviet sources said the backing of the Literary Gazette probably is more important in a public confrontation.