THE World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm Friday, February 1, over the presence of falsified rabies vaccines circulating in the Philippines.

In its Medical Product Alert, the WHO said the public should be vigilant against falsified Verorab® vaccines, adding it found two variants of it being circulated in the country.

One variant bears the Batch Number NIE35; Manufacturing Date, May 23, 2016; and Expiry Date, April 2019.

The second variant carries the Batch Number H1833; Manufacturing Date, November 30, 2017; and Expiry Date, October 2020.

WHO said variable data showed that these products do not correspond to the genuine manufacturer records.

Sanofi Pasteur, the manufacturer of the genuine version, also confirmed it did not manufacture the falsified vaccines.

The WHO called for increased vigilance within the supply chains of countries likely to be affected by these vaccines, including hospitals, clinics, health centers, wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies, and any other suppliers of vaccines.

“If you are in possession of the above vaccines, please do not use,” it said.

Those who suffered an adverse event after using the vaccine were also advised to seek immediate help from a qualified healthcare professional.

“Ensure that they report the incident to your local Ministry of Health/National Medicines Regulatory Authorities/National Pharmacovigilance Centre,” said WHO.

Verorab® vaccine is used for the prevention of rabies in children and adults and can be used to protect those who are at risk of exposure to rabies (pre-exposure vaccination), or to prevent the development of rabies after exposure has occurred, usually following the bite of an animal suspected of having rabies (post-exposure prophylaxis).

WHO said the Philippines Food and Drug Administration issued in December 2018 a public health warning concerning the falsified vaccines.

“Since that date, a further batch of falsified Verorab® vaccines has been reported,” it added. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)