| | |  Health & Beauty | December 2009 
Pirated Flu Shots on Rise in Mexico
 Rocio Zayas - The News
go to original
December 01, 2009
| | A recently released survey from the American Chamber of Commerce found that the pharmaceutical industry lost 25 million pesos to pirated medicine in 2008. (Cuartoscuro/Demian Chaveza) | |
Leave it to Mexico's black market to pick up on the lack of availability and come out with its own version of an H1N1 vaccination.
Unauthorized versions of swine flu shots are popping up in Mexico City's Tepito district, tianguis (street markets) and on the Internet, the Federal Commission for the Protection Against Health Risks (Cofepris) said Monday.
A recently released survey from the American Chamber of Commerce found that the pharmaceutical industry lost 25 million pesos to pirated medicine in 2008, but 71 percent of those surveyed said they don't buy them.
Cofepris Director Miguel Toscano Velasco called on the public not to be surprised by "opportunists" who play to people's fears by trying to sell counterfeit drugs.
Even some private doctors are offering the vaccination, even though it still isn't for sale in the private sector. Toscano said that the government-owned Biological and Reagent Laboratories of Mexico (Birmex) is in charge of eventually distributing the 30 million doses destined to atrisk groups, as defined by the Health Secretariat.
Toscano said that production of two medicines oseltamivir and zanamivir more commonly known as Tamiflu and Relenza, respectively, will be increased. The drugs slow the spread of the flu virus in the body, but are less effective with H1N1 than other strains. The sales of these medicines will be closely monitored, he said.
|
|
| |
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us