KARACHI: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has issued a nationwide alert following the discovery of counterfeit influenza (flu) vaccines allegedly being supplied to medicine markets across the country under the names of multinational pharmaceutical companies.
According to DRAP, counterfeit vaccines have been identified under the brand names Influvac Tetra and Vaxigrip Tetra. The authority has declared specific batches of both vaccines fake and warned that their use could pose serious and potentially life-threatening health risks.
In its product alerts, DRAP identified counterfeit packaging bearing the names and addresses of Abbott Biologics, Netherlands, and Sanofi Winthrop, France.
The authority stated that the distributor of Sanofi products in Pakistan had reported the suspected supply of counterfeit flu vaccines, prompting an investigation into the matter.
According to the alert, batch number Y4B34 of Vaxigrip Tetra has been declared counterfeit because the particular batch was never imported into Pakistan. Similarly, batch number P13 of Influvac Tetra, reportedly supplied in Lahore, has also been identified as fake.
DRAP warned that the quality, safety and effectiveness of the counterfeit vaccines cannot be verified. Consequently, healthcare professionals have been directed not to administer vaccines from the identified batches to patients due to the potential risk of serious adverse reactions.
Doctors have also been instructed to immediately report any suspected adverse effects associated with the use of these counterfeit products to the National Pharmacovigilance Centre.
The authority has further directed doctors, pharmaceutical distributors and pharmacies to immediately report the availability or supply of the identified counterfeit vaccines to the relevant authorities.
In response to the development, DRAP has instructed provincial governments and concerned drug regulatory authorities to take urgent measures to prevent the distribution of fake vaccines. Field enforcement teams have also been directed to investigate the supply chain and identify those involved in the distribution of counterfeit products.
Furthermore, provincial drug inspectors and enforcement officials have been ordered to immediately seize the identified counterfeit vaccine batches from the market.
DRAP has urged healthcare professionals, distributors and the public to remain vigilant and ensure that influenza vaccines are obtained only through authorized and verified sources.
