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Government slams Glaxo over vaccine ad
FALSE CLAIMS?:
Health officials said that GlaxoSmithKline may be misleading the public through posters that seem to suggest its products are approved, when they aren't yet
By Joy Su
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Apr 30, 2004, Page 2
Health yesterday blasted a poster produced by the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, saying that the poster contains misleading information about a children's vaccine. The vaccine has not been approved by the Department of Health.
"The vaccine being advertised is not part of the [department's] standard vaccination program, but the ad's headline reads `a new recommended vaccination program.' This misleads consumers into thinking that the information on the poster has been released as a public health advisory instead of as marketing," said Wang Hui-po (王惠珀), director general of the department's Pharmaceutical Affairs division.
Wang said that according to the Medical Affairs Law (醫事法), advertisements for prescription medications, such as the advertised vaccine, can only be published in medical research journals.
The poster presents in a chronological format the vaccinations that children should receive between birth and elementary school. One of the vaccines listed is not among those recommended by the department.
The poster advertises a "four-in-one" vaccine that combines standard diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccines with one to protect against Haemophilus b (Hib). Wang said that it is possible to receive both the DTP and the Hib shot at the same time, but that the department has yet to authorize a DTP-Hib "four-in-one" shot.
Wang said that the poster could prove to be in violation of the Fair Trade Act (公平交易法) if further investigation determines that it inappropriately leads consumers to believe that they have to receive both the DTP and Hib inoculations.
While Wang said the department is trying to determine which pharmaceutical company is responsible for the poster, a representative from GlaxoSmithKline yesterday confirmed that the company had issued the poster.
"We do not see how this poster is misleading. It clearly states that the costs of the highlighted vaccines are not covered by the [department]," said Rosa Chang (張文淑), head of the public relations department at the Taiwan branch of GlaxoSmithKline.
According to Chang, the DTP-Hib vaccine costs NT$1,500.
"However, if the [department] finds the poster to be illegal, we will be happy to take corrective measures," Chang said.
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