Uppsala Reports Long Reads – Substandard and falsified COVID-19 vaccines in the Americas

While COVID-19 vaccinations are picking up speed in many wealthy
countries, citizens of lower-income countries still face a long
wait ­– and where demand exceeds supply, black markets tend to
form. So to curb the spread of substandard and falsified
products, says drug regulatory specialist Danini Marin, we must
ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are distributed equitably around
the world.

This episode is part of the Uppsala Reports Long Reads series –
the most topical stories from UMC’s pharmacovigilance magazine,
brought to you in audio format. Find the original article
here.

After the read, we talk to Danini about the COVAX programme,
organised crime, and trust in vaccinations.

Tune in to find out:


Why COVID-19 vaccine delivery to low- and middle-income
countries has been inadequate so far

What threats substandard and falsified vaccines pose to
people and countries

How you can help mitigate the spread of compromised products



Want to know more?
Tune into our first episode to learn about the deadly
trade of fake medicines from former Interpol officer Aline
Plançon.

The US Food and Drug Administration has more information on the
COVID-19 vaccines authorised for emergency use in the country,
plus other useful resources on vaccines.

In March 2021, the Infectious Disease Data Observatory reported
54 incidents of COVID-19 vaccines being substandard, falsified,
or diverted from the legal supply chain.

In the same month, Interpol and the US’s Homeland Security
Investigations warned the public against purchasing alleged
COVID-19 vaccines online, while the World Health Organization
issued a medical product alert on a falsified COVID-19 vaccine
detected in Mexico.

WHO also curates a database on COVID-19 vaccine candidates in
development around the world.

Finally, don’t forget to ­subscribe to the monthly Uppsala
Reports newsletter for free regular updates from the world of
pharmacovigilance.





Join the conversation on social mediaFollow us on
Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or Bluesky and share your thoughts about
the show with the hashtag #DrugSafetyMatters.

Got a story to share?We’re always looking for new
content and interesting people to interview. If you have a great
idea for a show, get in touch!

About UMCRead more about Uppsala Monitoring Centre
and how we work to advance medicines safety.