The Winter Shield Is Missing – How Pakistan ...

Summary

• The Crisis on Ground: According to health department and market sources, all major flu vaccines have almost disappeared from licensed medical stores: – *Vaxigrip Tetra* (Sanofi, France) – *Influvac Tetra* (Abbott / Viatris, Netherlands) – Chinese flu vaccines (SinoPharm affiliates) Distributors in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad confirm zero stock for the last 3 weeks.
• *f) Federal Ministry of National Health Services:* Claims it has ordered DRAP to re-calculate prices within days and genuine stock will be available in limited quantity by *late November or December* – by which time half the flu season will be over.
• Always check *Batch Number, Manufacturer’s Seal, Expiry, and Cold Chain* – flu vaccines must be kept at 2-8°C.

AI Generated Summary

ISLAMABAD : Pakistan has entered its peak flu season without its most important shield. With October marking the start of the annual influenza wave, the country is facing an acute, nationwide shortage of seasonal influenza vaccines, triggering a parallel black market of fake and spurious shots.

Minute Mirror has pieced together the full chain – from pricing committee to pharmacy shelf.

1. The Crisis on Ground:

According to health department and market sources, all major flu vaccines have almost disappeared from licensed medical stores:

– *Vaxigrip Tetra* (Sanofi, France)
– *Influvac Tetra* (Abbott / Viatris, Netherlands)
– Chinese flu vaccines (SinoPharm affiliates)

Distributors in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad confirm zero stock for the last 3 weeks. What little stock exists is being sold at 300-400% black market premium, or is counterfeit.

2. The Fake Vaccine Racket Exposed:

Taking advantage of the shortage, counterfeiters have flooded the market.

*Major Raid in Lahore:* On a tip-off, Drug Inspectors raided a pharmacy in Lahore this week and recovered a heavy consignment of suspected fake *Influvac Tetra*. Two accused were arrested on the spot. The stock has been sent to the Drug Testing Laboratory (DTL), Lahore for analysis. A case is being registered under the Drug Act 1976.

*DRAP Rapid Alert:* DRAP has issued a critical Rapid Alert *No. I/S/10-26-47 on October 27*, declaring *Batch No. Y4B34 of Vaxigrip Tetra as spurious / falsified*. DRAP confirmed this batch was *never imported, never cleared, and never distributed* in Pakistan through legal channels.

3. Why Did The Shortage Happen? – The Pricing Committee Loop

The reason is not supply, but price.