Flu vaccine runs out across Pakistan as fake stock seized in Lahore

Just as the flu season approaches, the seasonal influenza vaccine has almost disappeared from medical stores across Pakistan. People are going from pharmacy to pharmacy, only to be told that the big manufacturers’ vaccines simply are not available. And the shortage has opened the door to something more dangerous — fake vaccines finding their way into the market.
Raid in Lahore, fake Influvac seized
Acting on a tip-off, drug inspectors in Lahore raided a premises and recovered a large stock of suspected counterfeit vaccine. Officials say the seized product was a fake version of Influvac, the flu vaccine made by Abbott. Two people were arrested on the spot, and a case is being prepared against them under the Drugs Act 1976. Samples of the seized stock have been sent to a laboratory to establish whether they are genuine. Officials have not disclosed the exact location of the raid, the quantity seized, or the identities of those arrested.
Why the genuine vaccine is missing
According to officials in the office of the Chief Drug Controller Punjab, no major supplier’s flu vaccine is currently on the market. Abbott’s vaccine may not be supplied at all this year, while a limited quantity of Sanofi’s vaccine is expected only towards the end of November or in December. Chinese vaccines, which would normally help fill the gap, are also gone — the limited stocks of Sinovac and Shenzhen Innovax have been exhausted. One reason behind the delay is a pricing dispute: the price recommended by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has not yet been approved by the federal cabinet, and the matter has been referred to the relevant committee.
What the public is being told
Drug authorities have urged people in plain terms: buy the vaccine only from a licensed pharmacy, check the batch number and the manufacturer’s seal, and make sure it has been kept under proper cold-chain conditions. A vaccine bought from an unverified seller can do real harm — badly stored or counterfeit doses may offer no protection at all, and may cause harm of their own.
The timing makes the shortage harder to ignore. Flu cases tend to climb as winter sets in, and it is older adults, young children, pregnant women and people with chronic illness who need the vaccine most. Hospitals in Karachi are already reporting more patients with flu-like symptoms, and Aga Khan University Hospital has recorded 400 influenza cases so far this year. Until supplies return, officials say, caution is the only protection on offer — and anyone offered a suspicious vaccine should report it to the authorities.