The World Health Organization warned against counterfeit Covid-19 vaccines sold on the dark web during a press conference Friday, CNBC reports.
“We urge all people not to buy vaccines outside government-run vaccination programs. Any vaccine outside these programs may be substandard or falsified, with the potential to cause serious harm,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The WHO’s top official said the group is also aware of reports of “criminal groups” reusing empty vaccine vials and tampering with the Covid vaccines supply chain.
“We urge the secure disposal or destruction of used and empty vaccine vials to prevent them from being reused by criminal groups,” Tedros said. He asked countries and individuals to watch for suspicious vaccine sales and report them to national authorities. “Information flow is essential to mark, to map global threats and protect confidence in vaccines,” he said.
WHO emphasized that any harm from falsified vaccines does not reflect the safety of genuine vaccines.
