Monday, March 10, 2014

Caution to Pediatricians (& Parents) - Fake Vaccine(s) in India

This letter has been sent by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics to all members (mro9e than 20,000 pediatricians in India) counseling them regarding the availability of fake PENTAXIM (manufacturer - Sanofi Pasteur) in India. Here is the letter reproduced in its entirety

"Dear Colleagues,We would like to apprise you regarding a serious matter where a renowned vaccine manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur has identified and come across a suspected counterfeit pentavalent vaccine, Pentaxim available in Cuttack, State of Orissa, in the eastern part of India. The vaccine pack has copied the brand but glaring errors on the pack indicate that the product is spurious. They have immediately informed concerned health authorities as well as enforcement agencies and asked them to investigate the matter and bring the culprit to book.IAP strongly condemns and expresses serious concern on the issue of availability of counterfeit products in the Indian market. We also urge our paediatric community to ensure that products are purchased through authorized distributors only through proper invoices and carefully check the packaging for any visible errors. In case of any questions and concerns, we request you to get in touch with the central IAP and the respective manufacturer to ensure that quick action is taken at the local and central level.Let us come together as a pediatric community and be vigilant to ensure we protect the health of the Indian children by using genuine products.Dr. Vijay YewaleIAP President 2014"



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