Chinese officials detained 37 people involved in the manufacture and sale of fake vaccines, state media reports.
About a month ago, a mother and daughter made headlines as they were detained in relation to the fake vaccines scandal. The duo is thought to have sold almost $100 million worth of suspected counterfeit vaccines since 2011. The food and drug office in the province of Shandong province is now on the lookout for the suspected buyers and sellers of the fake vaccines.
Officials estimate that at least 300 persons are involved in the criminal vaccine network that spans 24 provinces and cities that include Guangdong, Beijing and Chongqing. A thorough investigation is now in place as about nine suspected pharmaceutical wholesalers are thought to have distributed the vaccines.
On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration started an investigation to find out how the vaccines were manufactured, distributed and used.
The list of vaccines that were improperly refrigerated and deemed ineffective include vaccinations for Japanese encephalitis, polio, mumps, rabies and hepatitis B.
The World Health Organization's (WHO) office in China declared support to Chinese health officials in the crackdown of fake vaccines. It also advised that vaccines should be properly managed and stored in order to keep its potency. Improperly stored vaccines may become ineffective in providing protection for vaccinated children.
As residents of involved provinces blame ineffective vaccines for serious illnesses of their children, WHO clarifies that poorly stored vaccines may not confer immunity to the illness but it cannot cause severe illnesses, as previously contested.
The scandal made Chinese Premier Li Keqiang issue a standing order for government institutions to work collectively in investigating the matter. He also vowed to prosecute the involved criminals and negligent government officials.
"This vaccine safety incident has created a deep concern among the public and laid bare numerous regulatory loopholes," said Li.
This is not the first time that China was involved in a fake vaccine scandal. There were prior reports of ineffective vaccines sold in the market.
Photo: Keith Allison | Flickr