ASHENEWS reports that the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted healthcare providers of the presence of boxes of probable authentic Prevenar 13 displaying a tampered expiry date.
The agency in a statement posted on its official X handle on Monday said that the Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH) of the vaccines, Pfizer gave a warning to the agency following a notification received from a patient in Nigeria.
“On investigation, the information was shared with the Pfizer anti-counterfeit laboratory in Groton USA for visual analysis. The visual analysis conclusion from the laboratory states.
“Probable Authentic Packaging for distribution in the Nigerian market, displaying a tampered expiry date.
“Lot CL3337 is confirmed as a valid lot for Prevenar 13 for the Nigerian Market.
The correct manufacture date for lot CL3337 is 03/20219.
“The correct expiry date for lot CL3337 is 02/2022.
Expanded view of expiry date, showing tampering to month and year.
Month- changed from 02 to 12.
Year- changed from 2022 to 2024,” the statement said.
The agency added “Although a chemical analysis is yet to be conducted on the product by Pfizer since it is yet to receive the sample from the reporter, the elements above indicate that the product featured in the picture above has been tampered with and its expiry date has been extended by more than two years.
“Please note that the Original brand of Prevenar 13 is registered with NAFDAC with the number A6-0117.”
The agency implores healthcare providers to always exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain to avoid the purchase, administration, or use of falsified or substandard medicinal products.
“All medical products must be obtained from authorized/licensed suppliers. The products’ authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked.
“Patients in possession of the above-mentioned product are advised to discontinue use and submit stock to the nearest NAFDAC office. In the event of adverse reaction suffered from the use of the product, patients are advised to seek immediate medical attention from a qualified healthcare professional.”
