Health authorities in Spain’s Basque Country have launched an investigation after 253 patients, mostly infants, received expired doses of the childhood hexavalent vaccine, officials said Thursday.
The Basque public health service, Osakidetza, detected the issue on January 15 and has begun contacting the affected families. Basque Health Minister Alberto Martinez said consultations with the national medicines agency AEMPS, the Basque Vaccine Advisory Council, and the manufacturer confirmed that the expired vaccines pose no health risk.
However, Martinez acknowledged the incident as “serious” and issued an apology to families. He added that an internal probe has been opened to identify the supply chain lapse and implement measures to prevent recurrence.
The hexavalent vaccine protects children against six diseases, including diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, Hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type B. While the Basque Country manages local health services, the central Spanish government oversees national medicine regulations through AEMPS.
Officials stressed that day-to-day management and responses to local incidents remain under Basque control, and corrective actions are being taken to maintain vaccine safety standards.
With inputs from ALJAZEERA