Customs warns public vs. counterfeit COVID-19 vaccines

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Wednesday issued a warning to the public against the proliferation of counterfeit COVID vaccines, which may be manufactured locally.

In a statement, the BOC said it supports the call of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to strongly warn the public against fake vaccines in light of the President's directive to import COVID-19 vaccines.

“With the standing directive by the national government to authorize private sectors to import COVID-19 vaccines, unscrupulous entities might take advantage to profit during the pandemic by illegally manufacturing counterfeit vaccines locally,” the Customs said.

To recall, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. to sign any and all documents that would allow the private sector to import “at will” and “whatever amount they want to bring in.” 

“These counterfeit vaccines are injurious to public health and safety,” it said.

In line with this, the bureau encouraged the public to receive vaccinations in government-accredited hospitals and clinics only as strongly urged by the Department of Health (DOH) and FDA.

The BOC also called on the public to report any unauthorized sale, distribution, and administration of COVID-19 vaccines and counterfeit drugs.

The Customs also assured the expeditious processing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), other medical supplies, and authorized COVID-19 vaccines.

To date, the BOC said it has cleared and released 15,715 shipments of PPE and 5 shipments of COVID-19 vaccines with more than 2.5 million doses of Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines.

The bureau said it remains in close coordination with the DOH and FDA to expedite the processing of authorized COVID-19 vaccine importations to ensure public safety and prevent the entry of smuggled vaccines. — RSJ, GMA News