Falsified Medical Product Alert N°5/2021
COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Corona Virus Vaccine (Recombinant)): falsified product alert
WHO first published this alert in August 2021, when media reported it on 17 August 2021 with cases in Uganda and India. The WHO page now shows an update dated 31 August 2021 that records cases at patient level in Uganda, India and Myanmar, reported to WHO in July and August 2021 from the African and South-East Asia regions.1,2
- Issued
- 31 August 2021
- Issued by
- World Health Organization
- Name stated on packaging
- Packaging bears the COVISHIELD brand of Serum Institute of India, in one case misspelled COVISHELD, and in another a 2 ml presentation that the genuine manufacturer does not make.
- Genuine manufacturer's statement
- WHO said Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. confirmed that the listed products are falsified.
- Countries where detected
- Uganda, India, Myanmar
Batches named in the alert
4121Z040 (falsified expiry date 10.08.2021), 4126Z079 (falsified batch number), COVISHIELD 2ml presentation
Advice as stated
Do not use suspect vaccines. Obtain vaccines only from authorised suppliers and immunisation programmes. Anyone who received a suspect product or had an adverse reaction should seek medical advice and report it to the national regulator.
Names printed on falsified products are not evidence that the named company made them. Where WHO or a regulator reports the genuine manufacturer's statement, it is shown.
Sources
- World Health Organization, Medical Product Alert N°5/2021: Falsified COVISHIELD vaccine (Update) (31 August 2021)
- Nairametrics, WHO releases alert on falsified Covishield vaccine (17 August 2021)