The FAMHP and Sciensano warn against counterfeit ivermectin tablets that are promoted via social media as self-medication against Covid-19. Because its use leads to resistance to parasites, it poses a potential risk to public health.
Over the past three years, no fewer than 22,000 units of counterfeit ivermectin tablets were found in postal parcels in Belgium. “Since the start of the corona crisis, videos claiming that ivermectin is a cheap, effective remedy against Covid-19 have been circulating on social media, especially on Tiktok,” said Ann Eeckhout, spokeswoman for the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAGG). “It works against parasites, such as scabies, but not against a virus like corona. So there is no clinical evidence to support those claims.”
The thousands of seized tablets were analyzed by Sciensano and appeared to have serious quality problems. Eeckhout: “65 percent of the tablets had a shortage of ingredients that enable ivermectin to do its work. Normally the tablets contain 3 mg of ivermectin, but this is not the case with the counterfeit ones. In addition, almost half of the tablets were contaminated with bacteria that can cause serious gastrointestinal complaints.”
Public health at risk
Due to this incorrect dosage, the tablets can also “lead to resistance to the parasites for which the medicine is really intended,” the spokeswoman says. The parasites then become stronger and more resistant to the medications that they are intended to combat. This is worrying for public health, because few new effective medicines have been developed to combat these parasites.
“The use of ivermectin can have serious side effects in any case, such as lowered blood pressure, hallucinations and confusion,” Eeckhout explains. In extreme cases it can even lead to coma and death. “The medicine is only available in Belgium with a medical prescription, so people buy the tablets via foreign web shops or online marketplaces,” says Eeckhout.
