NEW DELHI – The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified counterfeit versions of India’s primary coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, Covishield.
The doses were seized by authorities in India and Africa between July and August, a WHO statement said.
It added that the vaccine’s maker, Serum Institute of India, confirmed that the doses were fake.
The WHO warned that fake vaccines “pose a serious risk to global public health”. It called for their removal from circulation.
There has been no official statement by the Indian government, but local reports said the country’s health ministry was investigating the matter.
Covishield is the Indian-made version of AstraZeneca’s jab and is the most widely used vaccine in India, with more than 486 million doses administered so far.(BBC)
