Remember! Counterfeiting COVID-19 Vaccine Criminal Action

ILLUSTRATION / UNSPLASH

JAKARTA - The COVID-19 Handling Task Force reminded that efforts to counterfeit the COVID-19 vaccine are a criminal act. This warning was conveyed following the discovery of a syndicate of COVID-19 vaccine counterfeiting in South Africa and China.

"It is important to know that vaccine counterfeiting is a criminal act that endangers the community, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Wiku Adisasmito, spokesman for the COVID-19 Task Force in the Presidential Secretariat Youtube broadcast, Tuesday, March 9.

Wiku said that until now there had not been any syndicates that counterfeited the COVID-19 vaccine in Indonesia. Because currently all vaccine procurement in Indonesia is carried out by the government with the G to G (intergovernmental) scheme. That way, the authenticity of the vaccine can be guaranteed.

"In essence, the COVID-19 vaccine is still very limited, so vaccines that are bought and sold freely are definitely fake commodities," said Wiku.

However, Wiku said the government would continue to monitor the issue of vaccine counterfeiting. This is because the government will hold an independent vaccination program called the Mutual Cooperation Vaccine.

"The government also educates and promotes coordination with parties involved in the vaccine procurement process in the Mutual Cooperation scheme to ensure the authenticity of vaccines," he explained.

For information, in early February, Chinese authorities revealed cases of counterfeiting COVID-19 vaccines. There are more than 80 people arrested in this case. Chinese police also confiscated more than three thousand doses of the fake COVID-19 vaccine.

The suspects have been committing fraud by selling counterfeit vaccines since at least September last year. Xinhua also said the fake vaccine had been traced.

Additionally, as of March 3, South African police seized hundreds of fake COVID-19 vaccines and arrested four suspects in connection with the seizure, said global police coordination agency Interpol.

Those arrested were 3 Chinese nationals and 1 Zambian national. About 400 ampoules (equivalent to about 2,400 doses) of counterfeit vaccine were found in a warehouse in Germiston, which is east of Johannesburg, South Africa.