<p>MEXICO CITY — Mexican authorities said Wednesday that fake coronavirus vaccines represent “a risk to health,” after falsified doses were found in Mexico and Poland. </p>
<p>Mexico’s medicines regulation agency said the false doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were found in February and had apparently been sold and administered. </p>
<p>Pfizer said in a statement it had detected counterfeit vaccines both in Mexico and Poland.</p>
<p>“We are cognizant that in this type of environment — fueled by the ease and convenience of e-commerce and anonymity afforded by the Internet — there will be an increase in the prevalence of fraud, counterfeit and other illicit activity as it relates to vaccines and treatments for COVID-19," Pfizer said.</p>
<p>Authorities in the northern border state of Nuevo Leon said they found three empty vials of fake Pfizer doses in February, suggesting that 15 to 18 people had gotten shots.</p>
<p>The Mexican government urged people not to try to get vaccines from online or private sellers, because all real vaccines are being distributed by the government.</p>
<p>However, there haven’t been enough doses to go around, prompting some Mexicans to fall prey to fake vaccines, or travel to the United States to get vaccinated.</p>
