Vaccine scandal: hundreds involved across 24 provinces in China

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Vaccine scandal: hundreds involved across 24 provinces in China

Beijing health authorities reassures public that all vaccines sold in the capital’s regulated medical centres are safe

PUBLISHED : Sunday, 20 March, 2016, 10:01pm
UPDATED : Sunday, 20 March, 2016, 11:19pm

Jing Li

Vaccines worth 570 million yuan were allegedly illegally sold in 18 provinces in China since early 2010 without adequate refrigeration, which could make them ineffective. Photo: Thepaper.com

At least 300 people and 24 provinces are involved in the case of improperly stored vaccines illegally sold across China – suggesting that the scale of the problem may be much larger than expected.

On Sunday, eastern Shandong province’s food and drug administration released detailed information of 300 suspects who allegedly either bought the 570 million yuan (HK$680,000) worth of vaccines from or sold them to the mother and daughter at the centre of the case.

Deadly vaccines: 570 million yuan of medication ‘illegally sold in China poses risk to users’ lives’: authorities

The mother, Pang, a 47-year-old former pharmacist, and her daughter, Sun, a medical school graduate, were detained by police last year on suspicion of selling the inadequately refrigerated vaccines, according to local media reports.

They have been charged with operating illegal businesses and are awaiting trial.

The mother and daughter had allegedly been illegally bulk-selling 25 kinds of vaccines, for both adults and children, since 2010.

Pang, a former pharmacist, is a suspect in the case. Photo: Thepaper.cn

The vaccines, including those for flu, chicken pox, hepatitis A, meningitis and rabies, could be ineffective and put their users’ lives at risk.

Vaccines transported without being adequately refrigerated between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius could lose their effectiveness.

Provincial drug authorities are tracking down the list of suspects. They also shared the information with 23 other provinces and cities where the vaccines had been sold, local news portal Dzwww.com reported.

The 24 provinces or cities involved are Anhui, Beijing, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Heilongjiang, Hubei, Jilin, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Chongqing, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Shandong, Hunan, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang.

Six suspects have been arrested and another 10 detained for criminal investigation in Inner Mongolia, Henan, Hebei and Shandong, according to the report.

Pang’s daughter, Sun, a medical school graduate, was also detained by police. Photo: Thepaper.cn

No official explanation was given on why most of the suspects remained at large although Pang and Sun were arrested in April last year and police in Jinan, Shandong, had sent out letters to 20 provinces seeking coordinated investigation last summer.

To allay public concern, Beijing municipal health authorities said on Saturday that all vaccines sold in the capital’s regulated medical centres were “safe” as they had all been properly registered and transported.

Hong Kong health chief considers bringing flu vaccines to primary schools to fight virus

Pang formerly worked as a pharmacist at a hospital in Heze, Shandong. She also ran a clinic selling vaccines. She was reportedly well known for her close ties with pharmaceutical firms.

In 2009, Pang was given a three-year suspended sentence for illegally selling vaccines, according to media reports. But she allegedly continued the business.

In 2014, she was joined by Sun, her daughter, when she graduated from medical school but could not find a job, the reports said.

Mother and daughter are awaiting trial.