ISLAMABAD: The federal capital’s drug control administration has uncovered a shocking scandal involving the administration of counterfeit vaccines to travellers and pilgrims at the official vaccination centre of the Federal Government Polyclinic (FGPC).
An inquiry, led by Sardar Shabbir Ahmed, Secretary of the Quality Control Board and Chief Drug Inspector of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), revealed that individuals seeking mandatory travel vaccines for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were being directed to purchase fake vaccines from a private medical store located outside the hospital.
A senior official from the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination shared the inquiry’s findings with The News on Wednesday, saying that the malpractice involved systematic corruption by certain staff members of the FGPC vaccination centre.
The official explained that meningitis vaccines are mandatory for travellers to Saudi Arabia, as required by the Saudi Embassy. The FGPC vaccination centre issued prescription slips for the vaccine, which applicants were instructed to purchase independently before returning for administration. Detailed records, including applicants’ names, ages, genders, and vaccine types, were maintained in a register.
The inquiry identified that counterfeit vaccines were purchased from a noted pharmacy.
A search of the vaccination centre’s waste bin revealed several packs of used vaccine of noted brands, raising suspicions about the authenticity of the administered vaccines.
During their investigation, the team visited the pharmacy, where the owner admitted to selling five packs of a vaccine the previous day.
Alarmingly, two packs were obtained from an unauthorised peddler, and the pharmacy could not provide purchase documentation or warranties for the vaccines. Consequently, the pharmacy was sealed pending further investigation.
The authorised distributor for a pharmaceutical company confirmed that meningitis vaccine stocks had not been supplied since February 2024. Furthermore, the recovered Lot No. U6977QAB was never imported into Pakistan.
Photos of the recovered vaccine packs and their 2D barcodes were shared with the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).
Verification through the Drug Regulatory Information System (DRIS) revealed no records of the identified lot number.
Additionally, inconsistencies in the expiration date were noted: the printed shelf life indicated November 2021, while the label showed November 2022.
The findings confirmed that the meningitis vaccine administered at FGPC was counterfeit and illegally sourced. This raises grave concern regarding public safety and vaccine administration practices, the official added.
The inquiry committee has recommended several measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, including the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for vaccination centers. These SOPs should ensure accountability in vaccine administration, including the maintenance of detailed batch and lot number records for traceability.
Additionally, vaccination centres must provide applicants with information on precautions to take when purchasing vaccines.
Drug inspectors are urged to enhance surveillance to detect counterfeit vaccines and take strict action against violators.
The report also emphasised that DRAP must ensure the consistent availability of essential vaccines to curb the influx of counterfeit products.
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