DRAP Warns of Fake Hexaxim Vaccine Vials in Pakistan, Batch X3H421VA: Only the Syringe Is Registered

Hexaxim is a six-in-one injection given to babies in private clinics. A fake dose may give no protection at all. If your child had a Hexaxim shot from a vial, keep the empty pack or vial, tell your child's doctor and ask about a repeat dose. Below is what the alert says, what we found when we went through DRAP's own pages, and what to do next.

DRAP Rapid Alert 53 covers Hexaxim vials, batch X3H421VA

The alert is numbered I/S/11-26-53 and is dated 12 November 2026. It says Hoechst Pakistan Limited, Karachi, the company that brings Sanofi's Hexaxim into Pakistan, told DRAP that the vial form "is not registered nor imported into Pakistan for distribution". The registered form is a pre-filled syringe, a syringe that comes already loaded with one dose.

DRAP calls the vial "spurious/falsified". In plain words, it is a fake made to look like the real brand. The alert warns of "therapeutic failure and serious unwanted effects", which means the shot may not work and may harm the child.

Any Hexaxim in a vial is a warning sign, whatever the batch

The batch number matters, but the shape of the pack matters more. Because DRAP says the vial form was never registered or imported, a Hexaxim vial with a different batch number is still not a product Pakistan approved. Ask to see the pack before the nurse opens it.

A genuine dose should come as one sealed syringe in its own box. The clinic should be able to show you the box, the batch number and the expiry date. Write the batch number on your child's vaccination card or take a photo of it.

Our step by step guide to checking a vaccine is genuine before your child's injection covers the other fake vaccine alerts DRAP has issued this autumn.

What we found on DRAP's alert pages on 12 November

We opened DRAP's Recall Alerts list at about 20:30 PKT on 12 November. Alert 53 for Hexaxim and Alert 52 for fake Axtin softgels sat at the top, both posted the same evening. The page for each alert opened quickly and carried a "Download" button for the signed PDF.

We downloaded the Hexaxim PDF. It opened without trouble and matches the web page word for word on the batch, the vial and the registered syringe form. The PDF header lists DRAP's Islamabad number, +92 51 9255969, and the email gsms@dra.gov.pk. One small difference: the web page says the alert is for the "Regulatory Field Force", while the PDF says "Field offices of DRAP". Both mean DRAP's own inspectors.

We also noticed that the web address of the Axtin alert starts with "53", although its title and PDF say Alert 52. If you share the link, check the title, not the number in the address. Our separate report covers the fake Axtin softgels in Alert 52.

Five steps if your child already had Hexaxim

Most parents will not know the form or batch of a shot given months ago. The steps below help you find out and act.

1. Look at your child's vaccination card or clinic receipt for the brand name and batch number.
2. If the card is blank, call the clinic and ask which form they used: syringe or vial, and which batch.
3. If it was a vial, or batch X3H421VA, tell your child's doctor and ask whether a repeat dose is needed.
4. Watch for fever that will not settle, swelling or a rash, and report any reaction to DRAP using its side effect reporting form.
5. Report the seller to DRAP or your provincial drug inspector, using our guide to reporting a fake medicine.

Do not panic if your clinic used a sealed syringe from a normal box. DRAP has not said the syringe form is affected.

The free government vaccines are not part of this alert

Hexaxim is sold privately. Children in Pakistan's free government programme, the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), get the pentavalent vaccine plus polio doses at government centres instead. DRAP's alert does not mention EPI vaccines.

That means parents who want to avoid private supply chains can use the free route. Our EPI baby vaccination schedule lists every visit up to 15 months. The cost of private vaccines is in our vaccine price guide.

This is the fourth fake injection alert from DRAP since 27 October. Alert 47 (27 October) covered Vaxigrip Tetra flu vaccine batch Y4B34, Alert 48 (30 October) covered Influvac Tetra batch P13 sold online, and Alert 49 covered Rhophylac 300 batch P100830101. Every alert this autumn is listed in our DRAP recall alerts list for 2026.

Common questions

Which Hexaxim batch is fake?

Batch X3H421VA, sold as a vial. DRAP says Hexaxim is registered in Pakistan only as a pre-filled syringe, so any vial should be treated as suspect.

Is the Hexaxim syringe also fake?

DRAP's alert names only the vial form. It does not say the registered pre-filled syringe is affected. Still check the batch and expiry on the box.

What should I do if my baby got the fake vaccine?

Keep the pack, tell your child's doctor and ask whether a repeat dose is needed. Report any reaction and the seller to DRAP.

Who reported the fake Hexaxim?

Hoechst Pakistan Limited, Karachi, which supplies the registered product, informed DRAP, according to the alert.

Are EPI government vaccines affected?

No. The alert is about a private brand, Hexaxim, in an unregistered vial form. It does not mention EPI vaccines.

How do I contact DRAP?

The alert PDF lists +92 51 9255969 and gsms@dra.gov.pk in Islamabad.

How we verified this

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

We read DRAP's Rapid Alert 53 on Hexaxim and its signed PDF on 12 November 2026, and compared it with earlier vaccine alerts on the DRAP Recall Alerts page. DRAP has not said how many fake vials were found or where. We will update this page if it does.