A more active European approach is necessary to combat fake vaccines

Den Exter explains that fake medicines are counterfeit medicines that, for example, have been produced incorrectly or contain unsafe ingredients. Therefore, they pose a direct danger to the safety of patients. These fake medicines are no longer only "life-style medicines” (such as weight-loss products), but also prescription medicines that can hardly be distinguished from the real ones. The fake medicines are mainly traded on the Internet. This way, the anonymity of the buyers and sellers can be protected. It also makes it possible to build a globally distributed trading network. The scale of trade and the serious consequences this entails make global cooperation necessary.

Den Exter would see the ratification of the Medicrime Convention of the Council of Europe as a good start for this global cooperation. The importance of this treaty is that it is open to all countries, including those outside the European Union. It can tackle the problem at its core: the production of the fake medicines. This mainly takes place in countries outside the European Union. This requires international cooperation that can be achieved through the Medicrime Convention. Nevertheless, the Netherlands does not seem to recognize the urgency and the added value of the Medicare treaty is being questioned. Den Exter believes that this neglects the fact that ratification of the convention actually gives an impulse to judicial enforcement in countries outside the European Union and future international cooperation. He therefore hopes that the upcoming cabinet will take the health crisis surrounding fake vaccines seriously and make efforts to ratify the treaty.