Islamabad: Flu vaccines of multinational companies may not be available this winter, or may reach the market in very limited quantity in December, as the federal government has not yet approved the price recommended by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), officials say.
The companies are also apparently unwilling to bring the vaccine at the old price of Rs1,300 or even the recommended Rs1,524, they added.
Senior pulmonologists and infectious diseases specialists warned that in the absence of multinational brands, smuggled and substandard vaccines were appearing, while many people, lacking confidence in Chinese-made vaccines, were remaining unvaccinated. They urged the government to resolve the pricing issue at the earliest so that vaccines are available before the peak flu season.
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal said Abbott and Hoechst (formerly Sanofi) could not import the vaccine as they were waiting for the revision of the maximum retail price (MRP), which is pending before the federal cabinet.
He said two Chinese-origin flu vaccines, Anflu and Virionza, are freely available in the market. He added that the World Health Organization (WHO) has approved three-strain vaccines for this season, as four-strain vaccines have been withdrawn globally.
“Flu vaccines of multinational companies, including Abbott’s Influvac and Sanofi’s Vaxigrip, may not be available this winter or may arrive in limited quantity by year end. Sinovac’s vaccine is available, and people should use it,” a DRAP official told Vitalsnews on Friday.
The official, who requested anonymity, said he had got his own family vaccinated with China’s Sinovac’s vaccine. “When no alternative is available, people should opt for the available options,” he added.
DRAP officials said Sanofi and Abbott had not applied for new prices under the hardship category, so they could not demand new prices without justification. They added that, apparently, both companies were not interested in bringing the vaccine this year.
However, officials in the health ministry and the pharmaceutical industry hinted that while Abbott had no plan to bring the vaccine this year, Sanofi could import a limited quantity in November, which could be available by mid-December. Officials of both companies did not respond to written queries till filing of this report.
DRAP import data showed that last year 740,718 doses were imported, including 205,000 by Abbott, 275,000 by Sanofi and 105,000 of Chinese vaccine by Sindh Medical Stores (SMS). The remaining doses were brought in by other importers.
According to WHO estimates, Pakistan may need around 30 million doses annually for people at higher risk of flu. Officials said these include 10 million elderly people, five million pregnant women, one million healthcare workers and 14 million chronic disease patients. With one million doses for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, the preliminary annual requirement could reach 31 million doses.
Ayesha Tammy Haq, a representative of multinational pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan, said she believed the Chinese vaccine was available, while others were not, as their prices had not been notified and were awaiting cabinet approval. She endorsed that no flu vaccine other than the Chinese one was currently available in the market.
DRAP officials said the pricing matter had been referred to Federal Minister for Climate Change Musadik Malik. They said a committee of Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Health Minister Mustafa Kamal had already approved the DRAP-recommended price. Malik has held several meetings on the issue, and the matter will go to the federal cabinet after his approval, they added.
On the other hand, DRAP has launched an inquiry into two importers of Chinese flu vaccines over allegations that they imported at lower cost and sold at higher prices after obtaining a court stay order.
“DRAP has summoned two Chinese flu vaccine importers and sought an explanation as to why they were selling at higher rates. DRAP has come to know that they were getting the vaccine at lower rates than they quoted,” a DRAP official said. The importers’ version could not be obtained, and the allegations are yet to be established.
The official said the importers had been asked to lower prices further, as DRAP was set to revise the price to Rs1,304, down from the earlier recommended Rs1,524.
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