How to Check a Vaccine Is Genuine Before Your Child's Injection in Pakistan: 5 Checks and Every Fake Batch DRAP Named

The checks take about two minutes at the clinic and cost nothing. We went through DRAP's alert pages, its signed PDFs and its reporting form on 12 November to see what a parent can actually check. Here is the list, the batches to avoid now, and what to do if something looks wrong.

Five checks take two minutes before any injection

Each check below comes from a real DRAP alert this autumn. Fakes were caught by the wrong form, a batch never imported, or sale through online sellers.

1. See the sealed box first. Ask the nurse to show you the pack before opening it. A genuine vaccine comes sealed, one dose per syringe or vial as registered.
2. Check the form. DRAP says Hexaxim is registered in Pakistan only as a pre-filled syringe. A Hexaxim vial is a fake, whatever its batch.
3. Read the batch number and expiry. Photograph them or ask for them on your child's vaccination card. Compare the batch with the table below.
4. Ask where the clinic buys its stock. DRAP's Alert 48 found a fake flu vaccine sold "through online channels". Avoid vaccines a seller delivers to your home.
5. Keep the empty pack. If a reaction or doubt comes later, the box and batch are what DRAP and drug inspectors need.

DRAP has named four fake injections since 27 October

We read each alert on DRAP's Recall Alerts page on 12 November. The batches below should not be used. If your child or you had one of these, tell your doctor.

Rhophylac is given to some mothers during or after pregnancy, not to children. We include it because it is a fake injection named in the same weeks. Our news reports cover the fake Hexaxim vials and the fake Rhophylac batch in full.

What we found going through DRAP's alert pages

We opened the Recall Alerts list on DRAP's website at about 20:30 PKT on 12 November. It loads as a plain list, newest first, and each alert page shows the product, batch, maker and advice in one table. Each has a "Download" button for a signed PDF, and the PDFs we opened matched the web pages.

Three things made it harder than it should be. The list has no search box for a batch number, so you scroll and open each alert. Some web addresses do not match the alert number: the Axtin alert's address starts with "53" while its title says 52. And the alerts name batches in the title only some of the time, so you have to open the page to see the batch.

Our tip: search your phone's browser for the batch number together with "DRAP" before the appointment, then open only DRAP's own page. Our full list of DRAP recall alerts in 2026 puts the batches in one place.

Free government vaccines come through a separate supply

None of the four alerts mention the free vaccines of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). EPI gives children the pentavalent vaccine, polio drops and other doses free at government centres. Private brands such as Hexaxim are bought by clinics from distributors.

If you want to avoid private supply chains, the free EPI route covers the core childhood vaccines. Our EPI vaccination schedule lists every visit, and the vaccine price guide shows the private cost of the extra vaccines.

How to report a fake vaccine or a reaction to DRAP

DRAP asks anyone who sees a fake or a reaction to report it to its National Pharmacovigilance Centre in Islamabad. We downloaded DRAP's reporting form, which is meant for doctors and other health workers. It asks for the brand, batch number, maker, dose and the date the reaction started, so the pack you kept is exactly what it needs.

The form lists the centre's phone number as +92 51 9107413, at the TF Complex, G-9/4, Islamabad. The alert PDFs list +92 51 9255969 and gsms@dra.gov.pk. We did not call either number. One line on the form surprised us: it says the form "neither has any legal value nor can be presented before any Court of Law". It is a safety report, not a complaint.

For a complaint against the seller, use our guide to reporting a fake medicine. For a reaction, our guide to reporting a side effect to DRAP walks through the patient route.

Common questions

How do I know if my child's vaccine is fake?

Check the sealed pack, the form, the batch and the expiry, then compare the batch with DRAP's recall alerts. A Hexaxim vial is always suspect.

Which vaccine batches are fake right now?

DRAP has named Vaxigrip Tetra Y4B34, Influvac Tetra P13 and Hexaxim vial X3H421VA since 27 October, plus Rhophylac 300 batch P100830101.

Can I buy vaccines online safely?

DRAP found a fake flu vaccine sold through online channels. Buy only from a licensed pharmacy or have the vaccine given at a clinic that shows you the sealed pack.

Are EPI vaccines safe from these fakes?

None of the four alerts mention EPI vaccines, which come through the government's own supply.

What should I do if my child already had a fake batch?

Keep the pack, tell your child's doctor and ask whether a repeat dose is needed. Then report it to DRAP.

Can I check a batch number on DRAP's website?

There is no batch search. You have to open each alert on the Recall Alerts page, or use our combined list.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We read DRAP Alerts 47, 48, 49 and 53 on the DRAP Recall Alerts page and DRAP's suspected adverse reaction form on 12 November 2026. We did not visit a clinic or handle a vaccine pack.