The World Health Organisation(WHO) issued an alert over fake Covishield vaccine doses in India. The vaccines were reported to WHO in July and August.Covishield manufacturer Serum Institute of India(SII) also confirmed that the products listed in the alert are fake.
The fake Covishield doses were first identified in Uganda and India
The fake Covishield doses were first identified in the African and South-East Asia region. They were reported from the patient level in Uganda and India.
“Falsified COVID-19 vaccines pose a serious risk to global public health and place an additional burden on vulnerable populations and health systems. It is important to detect and remove these falsified products from circulation to prevent harm to patients,” said WHO in the alert.
How were the fake vaccine doses identified?
The fake Covishield vaccine doses were identified on the basis of deliberate and fraudulent misrepresentation of the doses’ identity, composition, and source. Also, the expiry date (10.08.2021) on batch number 4121Z040 was false. Some of these bottles were of 2ml. However, SII does not produce Covishield in 2ml bottles.
WHO requested an extra layer of security and checks in India and some regions of Africa as these regions are likely to be affected by fake vaccines. WHO asked hospitals, clinics, health centers, and all the stakeholders in the supply chain to be extra cautious of fake vaccines.
