EpiPens are auto-injectors that deliver lifesaving doses of epinephrine to individuals suffering from severe allergic reactions. If a person is experiencing anaphylactic shock, a shot is administered through the thigh muscle for delivering epinephrine.
EpiPens are manufactured by Meridian Medical Technologies which is a US-based subsidiary of Pfizer.
Two cases have been reported where EpiPens actually did not work. It might be due to the presence of a defective part causing a failure in the activation of the injector.
As a result, about 500 EpiPens have been recalled in Denmark, 2000 in Norway, and an unspecified number in Ireland and Finland.
These devices, which are being recalled, were distributed in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and a variety of European countries, but not in the United States.
The reports suggest that in total around 80,000 EpiPens are being recalled across multiple countries as they might fail to work in an emergency.
