Pakistan faces influenza vaccine shortages and counterfeit seizures

Pakistan is experiencing a significant shortage of established influenza vaccine brands, including products from multinational manufacturers Abbott and Sanofi, as well as supplies from Chinese producers such as Sinovac and Shenzhen Innovax. While Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal stated that other brands remain available, officials in Punjab report that supplies from major suppliers have become limited or unavailable in the local market.

In response to the shortage, drug inspectors in Lahore seized a large quantity of suspected counterfeit vaccines, which reportedly appeared to be a falsified version of Abbott’s Influvac. Two individuals were arrested during the raid. Additionally, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) issued a safety alert regarding a falsified batch of Vaxigrip Tetra (batch number Y4B34) purportedly manufactured by Sanofi Winthrop Industrie in France, noting that this specific batch was never imported or distributed in the country.