I found something interesting in IVerify - Yes, Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority has seized and destroyed 10, 000 doses of COVID 19 vaccines.

Yes, Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority has seized and destroyed 10, 000 doses of COVID 19 vaccines.

True

According to a Press Statement issued by ZAMRA on 31st August 2021, Covid 19 vaccines were seized and destroyed as they were not registered nor authorized.

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Verified Sep, 13 2021

Claim

On 1st September 2021, Mwebantu Online News Platform published an article stating that the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) seized suspected unauthorized Covid-19 vaccines worth $150,000 that were imported in the country on 2nd July 2021. The article also claimed that the suspected vaccine doses were not suitable for use on the Zambian market, as the Hayat Vax [SARS-COV-2 Vaccine] (Vero Cell) was not registered by ZAMRA.

Rating Justification

The fact checking process has established as true the claim made by Mwebantu that Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) seized unauthorized Covid 19 vaccines. On 31st August 2021 ZAMRA published a press statement on their Facebook page stating that consignment of suspected Covid 19 vaccines called Hayat Vax [SARS-COV-2 Vaccine] (Vero Cell) were seized and destroyed. The suspected vaccines were seized because they were neither registered, nor authorized, and were not under the World Health Organization Emergency Use Listing. More details in the link https://www.facebook.com/zamra.zm/photos/a.1390732644342539/4229791240436651/ In an audio recording on Daily Nation Zambia Facebook Page, Findlay Embattled a Lusaka businessman explained that the 10 thousand doses of Covid 19 vaccines that were seized and destroyed by Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) were a donation from Abudabi Emirates government. According to the press statement issued by ZAMRA, the authority did not give any import authorization and the importer did not have a license to import the suspected vaccines.

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