The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has issued a warning following the surfacing of ‘vaccine draining’ claims.

The claim was that a group said they had been carrying out the vaccine draining procedure on vaccinated individuals.

Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong said the ministry was made aware of this practice on Tuesday.

Concerns were brought to the ministry’s attention after claims that a group of people in the western side of Viti Levu were charging vaccinated individuals to drain the vaccine out of their bodies.

He said the ministry was trying to gather more information out of the claims as yet.

“I am puzzled by this and I don’t understand how it is possible,” he said.

“I do know that when we give you the vaccine, it causes a reaction and an immune response stays.

“Whatever is eliminated from the body is eliminated through natural means.”

He said the only warning he would issue to individuals thinking of trying this practice out was to be careful.

“Vaccines teach your body how to gear up to fight an infection, without your body having to deal with the infection itself.

“In this way, vaccines help your body be prepared for invasions by germs that could otherwise make you very sick.

“What remains in the body after vaccination is the immune response that has been taught. As with anything introduced into the body, what is not used is removed naturally.”

He added that any attempt to eliminate anything from the body by unnatural means was potentially harmful.