Flu Vaccine Up to 13 Million Toman; Black Market Emerges After Weeks of Waiting

After a long delay in supplying the flu vaccine, prices of 12 and 13 million toman have made headlines in the market.

Economic Group: After weeks of waiting for the influenza vaccine to arrive in the country, now the unexpected prices of these vaccines have become a new issue in the drug market. Based on the prices reported from the market, the influenza vaccine attributed to the Dutch brand is offered at the rate of 13 million Tomans and the French sample at the price of 12 million Tomans; Figures that are significantly different from the prices of vaccines offered in the official network.

These prices have been raised while the supply of this year's influenza vaccine was delayed. In September, the officials of the Ministry of Health and the Food and Drug Organization announced the problems of producing and sending European vaccines, the limitations of money transfer and the difficulty of transportation. Delays in imports have raised concerns about timely access to the vaccine for high-risk groups.

At the beginning of October, the first shipments of vaccines entered the distribution network. The Food and Drug Organization announced the distribution of about 700,000 doses in the first phase and announced that the supply of vaccines from different countries, including China, Russia and some European countries, is on the agenda.

But at the same time as the distribution started, there were reports of the vaccine being sold at multiple prices of the official rate. The Food and Drug Organization had previously warned that the vaccines that reach buyers at a price of 10 to 12 million tomans may have been imported from unauthorized routes. According to the officials of this organization, there is no certainty about the conditions of storage, observance of the cold chain and compatibility of some of these vaccines with the strains required by the country.

The price difference is significant. The consumer price of the first official shipment of the Chinese vaccine was initially announced as two million and 185 thousand tomans, but after the price correction, it was reduced to one million and 780 thousand tomans. On the other hand, the prices of 12 and 13 million tomans reported from the market are about seven times this rate.

Of course, this comparison does not mean that the brands are the same or confirm the authenticity of expensive vaccines. Also, it is not yet clear whether the vaccines offered under the Dutch and French names and these prices were imported from the official route or offered in the unofficial market.

Now, in addition to the issue of vaccine supply, another question is also raised: the vaccines that have reached the market after weeks of waiting, at what price and by what route will they reach the consumers? The answer to this question is especially important for families who are looking to get a vaccine on the eve of the flu season.