Hospital reports fake rabies vaccine, sues distributor

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is wrapping up its investigation into a supplier accused of selling fake rabies vaccines to hospitals.

According to a report by GMA News' Ivan Mayrina aired on “24 Oras” on Thursday, The Medical City reported the fake vaccine, which it acquired from Geramil Trading, a wholesale distributor licensed by the FDA.

The fake vaccine looks legitimate, but bears the wrong registration number.

The hospital has reached out to almost 2,000 patients who were administered the fake vaccine to examine and vaccinate them. It has also filed criminal charges against Geramil Trading. 

“We did our obligation to tell the public that this thing is happening and I would now like to put the burden on the Department of Health, that this is a public health issue that should be addressed and confronted,” said The Medical City CEO Dr. Eugenio Ramos.

The DOH said that the fake vaccine has no ill effects, apart from not being a real vaccine to protect one from rabies. 

“Wala namang nagkaroon ng adverse effects. So at the worst, what we consider is that it is not an effective vaccine. Wala siyang effect. So lahat ng na-vaccinate dati, kailangan bakunahan ulit,” DOH Undersecretary Enrico Domingo said.

Each anti-rabies vaccine is worth P1,700. — Llanesca T. Panti/BM, GMA News