Crackdown on illegal trade in vaccines
Print Edition
A circular calling for a crackdown on the illegal trade in vaccines was issued by China’s top drug regulator, health authorities and police yesterday.
The food and drug administration in east China’s Shandong Province last week revealed that “problematic vaccines” worth more than 570 million yuan (US$88 million) had been sold illegally to 18 provincial regions since 2011.
The case involves 12 vaccines, two immune globulin and one therapeutic product allegedly sold by a mother and daughter team. The two are in police custody.
The circular calls on local drug and health departments to work closely with law enforcement to trace the manufacturing source and remove any contraband from the market as soon as possible.
It calls for efforts to identify and apprehend suspects still at large, and uncover the supply and sales chain.
On Sunday, the China Food and Drug Administration gave the pharmaceutical companies and distributors involved a deadline of March 25 to come forward with information about batch numbers, sales and destinations. Although produced by licensed manufacturers, quality is questionable as they had not been transported or stored properly.
Potential side-effects included disability and death.
As of yesterday, 12 provincial regions, including Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong and Jiangsu said none of the vaccines were in their areas.
Meanwhile, officials in south China’s Guangdong Province are investigating the case of a 4-year-old boy who died four days after being vaccinated against meningitis and polio, Guangzhou Daily reported yesterday.
Officials said the incident was not related to the vaccines mentioned in the circular issued yesterday.
The child, identified only by his surname Shen, received his vaccines on March 4 at a clinic in the Zhongbei Township, the report said.
Vaccinations against meningitis and polio — the first intravenously and the second orally — are provided free to children by the state.
Four to five hours after being inoculated, Shen developed a fever and was taken to a hospital in Zijin County. He died four days later.
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