The Real Danger of Substandard and Counterfeit COVID-19 Vaccines

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, one pressing concern for the industry is ensuring the supply of legitimate COVID-19 vaccines. It is estimated that 30.7% of people globally have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 16% of the world population is fully vaccinated, according to Our World in Data (1). In a 2021 report from ResearchAndMarkets.com, three different potential scenarios for the future of COVID-19 vaccines were forecasted (2):

• Annual COVID-19 vaccines for all.
• Individuals 65 years of age and older will get annual COVID-19 vaccines, while everyone else receives the vaccine every two years.
• Individuals 65 years of age and older will get a COVID-19 vaccine every two years, while everyone else receives the vaccine every five years.

No matter the scenario, COVID-19 vaccines will be important in the coming years. Therefore, now more than ever, the supply chain needs to be secure to ensure the population can have access to legitimate vaccines. But substandard and falsified COVID-19 vaccines—commonly referred to as counterfeit vaccines—continue to be a threat globally.

Read this article in BioPharm International’s October 2021 Regulatory Sourcebook eBook.

About the Author

Meg Rivers is a senior editor for Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmaceutical Technology Europe, and BioPharm International.

Article Details

BioPharm International
eBook: October 2021
Pages: 6-9

Citation

When referring to this article, please cite it as M. Rivers, “The Real Danger of Substandard and Counterfeit COVID-19 Vaccines," BioPharm International eBook (October 2021).