Falsified COVISHIELD vaccine identified in the WHO regions of Africa and South-East Asia

This WHO Medical Product Alert refers to falsified COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Corona Virus Vaccine (Recombinant)) identified in the WHO African Region, and the WHO South-East Asia Region. The falsified products were reported to WHO in July and August 2021. The genuine manufacturer of COVISHIELD (Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd.) has confirmed that the products listed in this alert are falsified. These falsified products have been reported at patient level in Uganda, India and Myanmar.

Genuine COVISHIELD vaccine is indicated for active immunization of individuals 18 years or older for the prevention of coronavirus disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The use of genuine COVID-19 vaccines should be in accordance with official guidance from national regulatory authorities.

Falsified COVID-19 vaccines pose a serious risk to global public health and place an additional burden on vulnerable populations and health systems. It is important to detect and remove these falsified products from circulation to prevent harm to patients.