Jodhpur: Paediatrician under radar for selling counterfeit vaccine

Jaipur: A Jodhpur-based paediatrician is under the radar of state’s drug controllers for allegedly selling counterfeit prophylactic vaccine for meningitis. Four counterfeit vaccine vial were found from Sriganganagar and one was found from Sikar on Monday. Two days ago, four vials of the counterfeit vaccines were seized from Jaipur’s chemist at Kalwar Road. “The supplier of the vaccine is the same Jodhpur-based paediatrician, who is authorised stockist of company manufacturing the vaccine,” said Ajay Phatak, drug controller, health department.

The drug controllers are investigating the matter. They are collecting bills of the Jodhpur-based authorised stockist to find out from where he was purchasing the counterfeit vaccines. In Sikar and Sriganganagar, drug controllers came to know in initial investigations that the supply of counterfeit medicines in these districts was done by the paediatrician. Phatak said that they are unearthing the whole nexus involved in supply of counterfeit and spurious vaccine in the state. He said, “Since he is a paediatrician, it is easier for him to convince the parents to get their children vaccinated. We are checking his stock and records to find more details.”

In the initial investigation, it has been found that he was getting the supply from Haryana. “Since he was an authorised dealer of the company, it was difficult for the buyers to doubt on him,” Phatak said. In Sriganganagar, four counterfeit vials were found in a hospital. The drug controllers came to know in initial investigation that the hospital had purchased the vaccine from Jodhpur’s authorised dealer. They were informed that the hospital had bought eight vials and four of them were used on children, while other four were in stock. The drug controller seized the stock and gave notice to the hospital to reply in three-day time.