Health clinics blasted by ad watchdog over IV drip coronavirus claims
The advertising watchdog has hit out at three companies over claims that intravenous (IV) drip treatments could be used to prevent or treat coronavirus.
An advert on Private Harley Street Clinic’s website promoted a £350 IV infusion by stating it would boost patients’ immune systems and protect against Covid-19.
“There is no vaccine available at present so maintaining and boosting your immune system is vital as this is your mechanism of protection against this virus and other pathogens”, it read.
IV therapy website Reviv said the high dose of vitamin C contained in its products could help prevent infection, while two Instagram ads for the Dr Rita Rakus Clinic also said IV drips could aid immunity.
Under advertising regulations brands are not allowed to make medicinal claims about products that are not licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said all three companies had breached regulations by implying that IV drips — which are unlicensed — could help prevent coronavirus.
The watchdog said it had fast tracked its investigations as part of its focus on tackling ads that exploited health-related anxieties during the pandemic.
Last month the ASA accused two face manufacturers of using “scaremongering” tactics to boost sales of their goods.
The watchdog will next week issue a joint enforcement notice with the MHRA to IV drip clinics outlining what claims can be made in relation to Covid-19 and granting a short grace period ahead of compliance checks.