Health Department in Punjab has blacklisted a vaccine supplier after the company failed to deliver millions of hepatitis vaccine doses, leaving thousands of newborns vulnerable.
According to official documents, the province had ordered three million doses in 2024, but the firm delivered only 524,000.
Media reported that the shortfall of the vaccine triggered widespread shortages in public hospitals in the province, where the vaccine is vital for infant immunization.
Repeated reminders from the department went unanswered, with the company citing technical issues at its manufacturing plant in India as the cause of delays.
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It is also reported that in the local media that the provincial director general of health has now barred the firm from participating in government tenders for the next three years.
Officials said the decision was necessary to hold the company accountable and prevent future risks.
Experts warn that the crisis could have long-term consequences for child health, stressing that timely vaccination is essential to protect newborns from life-threatening liver disease.
It is pertinent to mention here that the supplies of anti-malaria drugs and rabies vaccines have already run out in some areas of the biggest province of the country.