There are concerns regarding the authenticity of Covishield reaching patients in India, as fraudulent vials of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and manufactured by Serum Institute of India have been reported (SII).
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) global surveillance and monitoring system for substandard and fake medical products identified fake Covishield in India and Uganda, despite the Union government’s efforts to provide genuine coronavirus vaccines through transparent procurement and supply systems and the technology-backed CoWin platform for administration.
WHO on Tuesday issued a medical product alert referring to fake Covishield in South-East Asia and Africa. The fake products were reported to it in July and August, the apex global public health agency said. SII, the Indian producer of Covishield, had confirmed that some vaccine vials reported at the patient-level were fake, according to WHO.
The health agency urged India to increase vigilance on hospitals, clinics, health centres, wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies, and other suppliers of medical products. WHO has also asked for increased vigilance within supply chains of countries and regions likely to be affected by these fake products.
The products identified are confirmed as “falsified” on the basis that they deliberately or fraudulently misrepresent their identity, composition, or source.
In India, Covishield 2ml was identified though SII does not produce the vaccine in 2ml (four doses). In Uganda, Covishield with Batch 4121Z040 and the expiry date (10.08.2021) was found, which SII confirmed to WHO was fake.
“Genuine Covishield vaccine is indicated for active immunisation of individuals 18 years or older for the prevention of coronavirus disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The use of genuine covid-19 vaccines should be in accordance with official guidance from national regulatory authorities,” WHO said.
“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,” it said.
