…Cursed be the MAN that trusts in MAN….(Jeremiah
17:5)
The fear of man brings a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe(Proverbs 29:25)
The director in charge
of product safety at NDA however said the fake vaccines have no harm onto the
individuals injected but said they would not achieve the desired goal of
vaccinating against Hepatitis B virus. “Our advice is for all those people who
recently were vaccinated especially from private health facilities to do the
process afresh from government facilities.”
The director in charge
of product safety at NDA however said the fake vaccines have no harm onto the
individuals injected but said they would not achieve the desired goal of
vaccinating against Hepatitis B virus. “Our advice is for all those people who
recently were vaccinated especially from private health facilities to do the
process afresh from government facilities.”
MPs asked the NDA board, whether they had tested the
impounded drugs to find out their chemical composition and the effect on
people. “Is this drug dangerous? What are the effects of the drug to the public
that have already received it? Sizomu Rabbi Wambede (FDC, Mbale) wondered. NDA
board Chairman, Dr. Medard Bitekerezo said that NDA found the “fake” vaccines
on the market and was in the process of testing the drugs to ascertain their
chemical composition.
MPs asked the NDA board, whether they had tested the
impounded drugs to find out their chemical composition and the effect on
people. “Is this drug dangerous? What are the effects of the drug to the public
that have already received it? Sizomu Rabbi Wambede (FDC, Mbale) wondered. NDA
board Chairman, Dr. Medard Bitekerezo said that NDA found the “fake” vaccines
on the market and was in the process of testing the drugs to ascertain their
chemical composition.
I smell a rat but Jesus will always protect the poor Africans from Man’s wicked schemes !! Strange malaria-like disease hits Uganda: US experts to monitor deadly hemorrhagic fevers in Uganda: Oh: really: Why has Uganda become a home for all kinds of Hepatitis Out breaks ??
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.ug/2014/02/i-smell-rat-but-jesus-will-always.htmlPrivate health facilities administering fake Hepatitis B vaccine- NDA
http://nilepost.co.ug/2018/03/13/private-health-facilities-administering-fake-hepatitis-b-vaccine-nda/
National Drug Authority (NDA) has unearthed and confiscated what they
termed as fake Hepatitis B drugs being administered to patients during
vaccination.
Hepatitis is an infection that targets the liver and is the commonest cause of cancer globally accounting for 83 percent of the cases globally.
In 2015, government rolled out a mass Hepatitis B vaccination exercise for people aged 14 and 30 years around the country targeting over five million people from over thirty districts around the country.
According to Hellen Ndagigye, the director in charge of product safety at NDA, various privately owned medical facilities including hospitals and pharmacies around the country were found in possession of hepatitis B vaccines that are believed to be fake.
“Following a tip off in Mbarara we rolled a surveillance and we encountered counterfeit vaccines from various health facilities,”Ndagigye said.
They singled out Mbarara Community hospital,Devine Mercy,Mayanja memorial hospital, Family doctors’ clinic, Mbarara City Clinic, UMC(Bukoto),Malcom health care and Kampala medical chambers.
Norvik Enterprises Limited is the only authorised firm to import Hepatitis B vaccine to Uganda from Serum Institute in India but according to NDA, they discovered that all the fake vaccines impounded indicated they had been manufactured by the same company (Serum Institute).
“A genuine vaccine has a shelf- life of three years but most of the drugs recovered from the various private health facilities were meant to last for four or more years.”
NDA officials says they are still investigating a possibility of unscrupulous people either repacking or putting water in the bottles to disguise as Hepatitis B vaccine.
Suppliers
According to some of the invoices recovered from private health facilities whose stores were raided by National Drug Authority, the phone numbers for the suppliers and their locations were non-existent indicating they were fake and could not be traced after supplying the vaccines.
Officials also said that they will be more interested in finding out how the fake vaccines got onto the market and the people before these vaccines.
The director in charge of product safety at NDA however said the fake vaccines have no harm onto the individuals injected but said they would not achieve the desired goal of vaccinating against Hepatitis B virus.
“Our advice is for all those people who recently were vaccinated especially from private health facilities to do the process afresh from government facilities.”
Officials said government facilities get the vaccines from Norvik Enterprises which is eligible to import them from Serum Institute in India.
The public has also been warned of the various health camps by private health facilities against the fake hepatitis B vaccines.
https://www.independent.co.ug/parliament-suspends-hepatitis-b-vaccination-in-private-clinics-and-hospitals/
Kampala, Uganda | GODFREY SSALI | The Parliamentary health committee has directed an immediate stop in Hepatitis B vaccination by private health facilities.
This after it emerged that there were fake Hepatitis B vaccines on the market with the National Drug Authority (NDA) impounding the counterfeit vaccines from hospitals in Kampala and other parts of the country.
In a heated meeting between the committee and officials of NDA led by the board chairman Dr.Medard Bitekyerezo, the committee said vaccines shall only be administered in government hospitals.
It furthers resolved that private hospitals and clinics shall first seek certification from government to carry out the task.
The Committee chaired by Michael Yiga Bukenya (NRM, Bukuya), Wednesday, met officials from NDA, the human and animal drugs regulator, who agreed with the MPs position.
“Private health facilities should stop vaccinating and the public should only use public health facilities,” said Dr. Bukenya.
NDA impounded the vaccines from eight private health facilities both in Kampala and upcountry including Family Doctors Clinic in Ntungamo; UMC Hospital, Bukoto; Malcolm Health Care, Kisaasi and Kampala Medical Chambers. The others were Mbarara Community Hospital, Devine Mercy, Mbarara City Clinic and Mayanja Memorial Hospital.
MPs asked the NDA board, whether they had tested the impounded drugs to find out their chemical composition and the effect on people.
“Is this drug dangerous? What are the effects of the drug to the public that have already received it? Sizomu Rabbi Wambede (FDC, Mbale) wondered.
NDA board Chairman, Dr. Medard Bitekerezo said that NDA found the “fake” vaccines on the market and was in the process of testing the drugs to ascertain their chemical composition.
However, the NDA board Chairman Medard Bitekyerezo said it is not feasible to suspend the immunization because some people have not completed their Hepatitis B dosage.
He said the public should continue with their vaccinations in the public health facilities.
“I have told you that not all vaccines in Uganda are fake. Let all those people who want to be vaccinated be vaccinated with proper vaccines under close supervision.” Said Dr.Bitekyerezo.
“We have confiscated the fake drugs in question and the testing process has begun. In the meantime vaccination in private facilities should be stopped,” Bitekerezo added.
He also said that NDA is investigating the source of the drugs currently circulating on the Ugandan market.
Hepatitis is an infection that targets the liver and is the commonest cause of cancer globally accounting for 83 percent of the cases globally.
In 2015, government rolled out a mass Hepatitis B vaccination exercise for people aged 14 and 30 years around the country targeting over five million people from over thirty districts around the country.
According to Hellen Ndagigye, the director in charge of product safety at NDA, various privately owned medical facilities including hospitals and pharmacies around the country were found in possession of hepatitis B vaccines that are believed to be fake.
“Following a tip off in Mbarara we rolled a surveillance and we encountered counterfeit vaccines from various health facilities,”Ndagigye said.
They singled out Mbarara Community hospital,Devine Mercy,Mayanja memorial hospital, Family doctors’ clinic, Mbarara City Clinic, UMC(Bukoto),Malcom health care and Kampala medical chambers.
Norvik Enterprises Limited is the only authorised firm to import Hepatitis B vaccine to Uganda from Serum Institute in India but according to NDA, they discovered that all the fake vaccines impounded indicated they had been manufactured by the same company (Serum Institute).
“A genuine vaccine has a shelf- life of three years but most of the drugs recovered from the various private health facilities were meant to last for four or more years.”
NDA officials says they are still investigating a possibility of unscrupulous people either repacking or putting water in the bottles to disguise as Hepatitis B vaccine.
Suppliers
According to some of the invoices recovered from private health facilities whose stores were raided by National Drug Authority, the phone numbers for the suppliers and their locations were non-existent indicating they were fake and could not be traced after supplying the vaccines.
Officials also said that they will be more interested in finding out how the fake vaccines got onto the market and the people before these vaccines.
The director in charge of product safety at NDA however said the fake vaccines have no harm onto the individuals injected but said they would not achieve the desired goal of vaccinating against Hepatitis B virus.
“Our advice is for all those people who recently were vaccinated especially from private health facilities to do the process afresh from government facilities.”
Officials said government facilities get the vaccines from Norvik Enterprises which is eligible to import them from Serum Institute in India.
The public has also been warned of the various health camps by private health facilities against the fake hepatitis B vaccines.
Parliament suspends Hepatitis B vaccination in private Clinics and Hospitals
March 14, 2018https://www.independent.co.ug/parliament-suspends-hepatitis-b-vaccination-in-private-clinics-and-hospitals/
Kampala, Uganda | GODFREY SSALI | The Parliamentary health committee has directed an immediate stop in Hepatitis B vaccination by private health facilities.
This after it emerged that there were fake Hepatitis B vaccines on the market with the National Drug Authority (NDA) impounding the counterfeit vaccines from hospitals in Kampala and other parts of the country.
In a heated meeting between the committee and officials of NDA led by the board chairman Dr.Medard Bitekyerezo, the committee said vaccines shall only be administered in government hospitals.
It furthers resolved that private hospitals and clinics shall first seek certification from government to carry out the task.
The Committee chaired by Michael Yiga Bukenya (NRM, Bukuya), Wednesday, met officials from NDA, the human and animal drugs regulator, who agreed with the MPs position.
“Private health facilities should stop vaccinating and the public should only use public health facilities,” said Dr. Bukenya.
NDA impounded the vaccines from eight private health facilities both in Kampala and upcountry including Family Doctors Clinic in Ntungamo; UMC Hospital, Bukoto; Malcolm Health Care, Kisaasi and Kampala Medical Chambers. The others were Mbarara Community Hospital, Devine Mercy, Mbarara City Clinic and Mayanja Memorial Hospital.
MPs asked the NDA board, whether they had tested the impounded drugs to find out their chemical composition and the effect on people.
“Is this drug dangerous? What are the effects of the drug to the public that have already received it? Sizomu Rabbi Wambede (FDC, Mbale) wondered.
NDA board Chairman, Dr. Medard Bitekerezo said that NDA found the “fake” vaccines on the market and was in the process of testing the drugs to ascertain their chemical composition.
However, the NDA board Chairman Medard Bitekyerezo said it is not feasible to suspend the immunization because some people have not completed their Hepatitis B dosage.
He said the public should continue with their vaccinations in the public health facilities.
“I have told you that not all vaccines in Uganda are fake. Let all those people who want to be vaccinated be vaccinated with proper vaccines under close supervision.” Said Dr.Bitekyerezo.
“We have confiscated the fake drugs in question and the testing process has begun. In the meantime vaccination in private facilities should be stopped,” Bitekerezo added.
He also said that NDA is investigating the source of the drugs currently circulating on the Ugandan market.
NDA seizes fake hepatitis vaccines
As inquiries proceed, the authority has asked the public to remain calm awaiting further advice. Amos Atumanya, the NDA regulatory officer who led the three-week preliminary investigation, told journalists yesterday that the fake vaccines are allegedly manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
More counterfeits were then seized at immunization camps in Mbale central market that were being run by suspicious individuals, and another by Sanyu Medical Centre in Katabi, Entebbe.
Affected health facilities are UMC Victoria hospital Bukoto; Mbarara Community hospital, Devine Mercy, Mayanja Memorial hospital, Family Doctors’ clinic Ntungamo, Mbarara City clinic, Malcom Health Care Kisaasi and Kampala Medical Chambers along Buganda road.
Hellen Ndagije, the NDA director product safety, said the investigating team first operated under cover.
“At first, we thought it was something small in Mbarara but later agreed to move elsewhere, and as well inform the media about these hospitals and clinics,” Ndagije said.
This vaccine is administered to immunise against hepatitis B, a deadly virus that causes potentially fatal liver disease and inflammation of the liver. Health ministry figures show that more than 3.5 million Ugandans are living with chronic hepatitis B infection.
From the 2005 screening across the country, the highest prevalence was recorded in Karamoja (23.9%); West Nile (18.5%), and Western region (10.0%). Lowest incidence was in Central (6%) and South Western (3.8%).
There are various types of hepatitis viruses; A, B, C, D and E but B is the most prevalent in Uganda. Several hepatitis B vaccine brands are approved for supply in Uganda from various manufacturers, including Serum Institute of India.
The Serum brand, according to Ndagije, is available in only two registered pack sizes; 1ml ampoules and 10ml multi-dose vials. Norvik Enterprises Ltd located along Bombo road in Kampala are the only approved importer.
The 1ml pack supplied to private concerns can be identified by a white label with two green bands, while the 10ml vial to government facilities is identified by a white label with two purple bands at the top and bottom parts of the labels, respectively.
The government vaccines also bear the words: “Government of Uganda, Not for Sale”.
Ndagije explained that the genuine 10ml vial also has batch numbers, manufacturing and expiry dates with a shelf life of three years.
“Some of the fake vaccines were found with no manufacturing dates while others had four-year expiry dates. In other cases, the shelf life showed two years and below instead of three years,” Ndagije said, adding that markings on the vial would also easily be rubbed off.
All facilities found with fake vaccines had bought from unlicensed dealers with fake addresses on invoices/receipts. UMC Victoria hospital’s head of marketing, Mukesh Meharwal, yesterday declined to comment but gave his phone to another male staff.
“UMC doesn’t deal with fake drugs and suppliers. It is true we were found with the 10ml vial [meant for government facilities] and the 1ml. But when a person comes, we use the 1ml and only use the 10ml in medical camps,” the unidentified staffer said.
Later in the evening, the hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr Edrin Jjuuko, issued a statement “to assure the public that all drugs, vaccines inclusive that are used by UMC Victoria hospital are authentic and approved by the relevant authorities.”
“In regards to hepatitis B, we have administered the same to many people and a wrong vaccine would cause a negative reaction in the body.
We have parameters for testing the effectiveness of the vaccine and ascertain whether the vaccine really indeed worked or not. For hepatitis B, we do anti-HBs which if greater than 10mIU/ml will indicate immunity. We are, therefore, open to receiving any one that would like to get assurance in this regard.”
Yesterday, Ndagije appealed to all private health facilities stocking the 10ml multi-dose vials manufactured by Serum to immediately stop using them and take them to the nearest NDA office from where they will be collected for testing.
“People that have been vaccinated from the affected facilities need to stay calm until we give our final results. But if we find that all the three doses were counterfeit, you will have to repeat the cycle again,” she said.
