Guard Against Fake Covid Vaccines, Govt Told

The Ombudsman on Thursday called on the government to play the role of gatekeeper properly to guard against possible fake Covid-19 vaccines.

Winnie Chiu said while jabs are being administered under government-run inoculation programmes around the world, they may also become available in the private markets in future.

“While government-arranged vaccination programmes seem to be the main trend globally at present, it is still possible that drug manufacturers may supply the vaccines to the private markets in individual countries,” she said.

And with legal and parallel imports – along with possible counterfeits – being made available, Chiu said authorities must ensure vaccines taken by the public are up to standard.

She said health authorities must strengthen the dissemination of accurate information to the public.

Chiu said the government should review the way information about serious incidents is given out, and boost the transparency of newly introduced vaccines.

She made the comments as the watchdog released an investigation report on the sale of fake human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines in 2019 and the government’s monitoring mechanism.

The report found that the monitoring mechanism had been inadequate for vaccines that were in high demand, noting that the Department of Health did not have the authority to conduct routine inspections at private clinics for possible fake jabs.

But it noted that the mechanism has since been strengthened.

The Ombudsman also urged the health authorities to take the initiative to educate the public how they can verify whether the vaccines they take are authentic and registered.

“Actually, an informed and alert general public can render the government’s monitoring and enforcement efforts much more effective,” Chiu said.

Dozens of fake vaccines were seized in 2019 following complaints from patients who had paid thousands of dollars to protect themselves from various diseases, including cervical cancer.

Tests subsequently found that the products were not HPV vaccines at all, but contained ingredients commonly found in saline solution.

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