Detection and anticounterfeit technology specialist Eluceda has developed a rapid, accurate and easy-to-use testing solution for detecting counterfeit Covid-19 vaccines in the field – providing a practical authentication solution that doesn’t require centralised testing infrastructure or specialised personnel.

Existing vaccine authentication methods tend to rely on relatively scarce, expensive, and centralised equipment with samples often having to travel across borders, leading to lengthy waitson test results. By providing rapid, cost-effective, and portable authentication technology that requires little training to use, Eluceda hopes to both improve confidence and safety in vaccine use.

Eluceda’s solution is based on its E-Sens™ rapid testing device which can analyse the unique electrochemical ‘fingerprint’ of covid vaccinesand other liquids. When presented with counterfeit or adulterated vaccines, the reader will compare the ‘fingerprint’ of a relevant sample against genuine vaccines – providing results in less than two minutes.

Dedicated software records test data which can be uploaded to a database accessible by authorised stakeholders across the world. Other relevant data such as time, geolocation and information specific to the electrochemical ‘fingerprint’ are also logged, allowing for decentralised analysis and for trends to be identified quickly and efficiently. 

The test process involves acquiring a relevant sample, inserting a smallsensor into the E-Sens™ reader, which is connected to a mobile phone, tabletor PC, and dropping a small amount of liquid onto the sensor. These specialised sensors are designed to be disposableand are able to detect small variations in electrochemical signal, caused by dilution, contaminants, etc.

“Both public and professional confidence is an absolutely critical component of vaccine use and counterfeits pose a serious risk to maintaining that confidence,” said Dr Ian Eastwood, CTOat Eluceda. “Putting accurate and easy-to-use authentication technology in the hands of people best placed to detect and ultimately stop counterfeits is a powerful tool in maintaining that confidence and protecting the health of people around the world.”

The simplicity of Eluceda’s authentication solution allows for a diverse range of stakeholders to carry out authentication tests such as enforcement personnel, customs officials, logistics providers and even medical professionals.

Even before the pandemic, the World Health Organization estimated that 1 in 10 medical products in low- and middle-income countries were substandard or falsified[1]. Reports of fake Covid vaccines appeared in early 2021 with distilled water, saline solutions or anti-wrinkle treatments being sold as the vaccine[2].

A white paper with more details on Eluceda’s Covid vaccine authentication solution can be found on the Eluceda website here: https://www.eluceda.com/vaccine_authentication 

Alternatively, you can contact Eluceda directly by emailing: info@eluceda.comor via Eluceda’s contact page: https://www.eluceda.com/contact