First-of-its-kind breakthrough means vaccines can undergo quick screening to deduce if they are fake or genuine
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New research led by Oxford University researchers has uncovered a first-of-its-kind method used to deduce if a vaccine is real or fake – a development that could help combat the rise in falsified vaccines worldwide.
By using clinical mass spectrometers – tools used to discern specific molecules in a substance – real vaccines were distinguished from their fake counterparts – which often use solutions of sodium chloride – for a range of illnesses including influenza (flu), hepatitis B virus, and meningococcal disease. As clinical mass spectrometers are already distributed worldwide in laboratories for their use in medical diagnostics, researchers hope the new method could be easily scaled for a more effective global vaccine screening system.
Fake vaccines pose a real threat to public health – causing serious health consequences, death, and ultimately reducing confidence in vaccine uptake. During the coronavirus pandemic, more than a dozen people were prosecuted for alleged involvement in fake vaccination drives in Mumbai and Kolkata – with a member of parliament, Mimi Chakraborty involved in administering fake versions of Covishield (India’s version of the AstraZeneca vaccine) to the public.
And in July and August 2021, an Interpol operation into fake vaccines across southern Africa identified 179 suspects and seized $3.5m worth of goods including vaccines, face masks and fake coronavirus test certificates.
‘We are thrilled to see the method’s effectiveness and its potential for deployment into real-world vaccine authenticity screening,’ said study co-leader and Professor of Biological Chemistry in Oxford University’s Department of Chemistry, Professor James McCullagh.
‘This is an important milestone for the Vaccine Identity Evaluation (VIE) consortium which focusses on the development and evaluation of innovative devices for detecting falsified and substandard vaccines, supported by multiple research partners including the World Health Organization (WHO), medicine regulatory authorities and vaccine manufacturers.’
