Paris: The WHO and Interpol have issued global alerts as fraudsters target governments with Covid-19 vaccine scams.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said fake Covishield vaccines were circulating in India and Uganda. In more than 60 cases in 40 countries, representatives of health ministries and hospitals have received offers to buy vaccines approved for distribution in their country, Interpol said on Monday.
According to the statement, the fraudsters usually claim to represent a vaccine manufacturer or a government organization facilitating the distribution of vaccines.
They try to establish contact via the private email addresses of the persons concerned as well as by telephone. They also use fake websites and social media profiles.
"Even when a fraud fails, it is important that it is reported to the police so that potential links can be identified and also, as in the case of the alert Interpol has issued, to warn law enforcement about these threats," Secretary General Juergen Stock.
Criminals have tried to make profit at every stage of the coronavirus pandemic so far, be it with the fake sale of protective equipment, the production and sale of fake vaccines or hacking attacks on critical infrastructure.
"The genuine manufacturer of Covishield (Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd.) has confirmed that the products listed in this alert are falsified. These falsified products have been reported at the patient level in Uganda and India," WHO said.
WHO said the products were confirmed as falsified on the basis that they deliberately/ fraudulently misrepresent their identity, composition or source.
The counterfeit Covishield vial detected in Uganda was a 5 ml dosage form containing 10 doses. It had a batch number 4121Z040 and the falsified expiry date of August 10.
This isn't the first time that counterfeit COVID-19 vaccines have been detected. WHO has earlier identified as counterfeit Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 circulating in Americas. These counterfeit products were supplied and administered to patients outside of authorised vaccination programmes.
Counterfeit drugs and vaccines are a major problem in South Asia and Africa. WHO has expressed concern about fake vaccines in circulation.
"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," the agency said.
WHO requested increased vigilance within the supply chains of countries and regions likely to be affected by the falsified products.
"Increased vigilance should include hospitals, clinics, health centers, wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies, and any other suppliers of medical products," the global agency said.
"All medical products must be obtained from authorized/licensed suppliers. The products’ authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked. Seek advice from a healthcare professional in case of doubt," WHO added.
For the public, WHO said if any one used these products, or suffered an adverse reaction having used these products, the person should seek immediate medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional and to report the incident to the National Regulatory Authorities and National Pharmacovigilance Centre.
It also asked National regulatory and health authorities to immediately notify WHO if these falsified products are discovered in their country. -- dpa
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