The Lok Sabha was asked whether the government has identified any fake vaccines. (File)
Instances of fake COVID-19 vaccination camps and vaccines have come to the central government's notice from Maharashtra, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, the Lok Sabha was told on Friday.
The Ministry of Health has directed the state governments to investigate these instances and take stringent legal and administrative actions so that such fraudulent activities are not repeated in the future, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.
Her response was to a question on whether the government has identified any fake vaccines of approved Covishield, Covaxin, Sputnik V across the country since the beginning of the vaccination programme, and what measures the government has taken to identify and stop these fake vaccines from circulation.
Ms Pawar said that as an additional measure of caution and stringent action, all states and union territories were asked to increase the vigilance within the supply chains and carefully authenticate the product and its physical condition before its use so as to guard against such unscrupulous activities.
Further, communication has also been sent to all states and union territories that all beneficiaries who receive vaccines must be captured on the CoWIN portal and issued digital vaccination certificates. Further, all vaccination sessions should be recorded on the portal, Ms Pawar said.