CHINA TOPIX

11/21/2024 10:16:05 pm

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China to Thorougly Investigate Illegal Vaccine Sales

Chinese authorities commit to thoroughly investigate illegal vaccine sales.

(Photo : Getty Image) Chinese authorities commit to thoroughly investigate illegal vaccine sales.

China's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is ordering a thorough investigation for the illegal selling of vaccines worth more than 570 million yuan ($88 million) sold in more than 24 Chinese provinces. 

A 47-year-old doctor and her daughter, a medical student, were said to be the leaders of the illegal ring. 

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Shandong's food and drug department on Saturday rolled out a list of 107 suspects who are reportedly supplying vaccines to the mother-and-daughter duo who were investigated for illegal business operations. The local government released another list with 193 suspects who bought vaccines from the two. 

China's FDA is calling all suspects to voluntarily submit themselves to authorities and cooperate. Authorities also wrote letters to other local food and drug departments across 20 cities to help them during the investigation, including verifying the vaccines' destinations.

"All those involved in the case must report the variety, amount, batch number and whereabouts of the vaccines to the FDA or police before March 25," the administration announced.

Shandong officials revealed that there were 25 types of vaccines recovered, including those used to combat chicken pox, hepatitis A, meningitis and rabies. All these are non-mandatory vaccines belonging to the second category, which are not free and optional. Based on the suspect's account book, these illegal vaccines were sold in 24 different provincial areas, including Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Guangdong, and Sichuan.

Although the vaccines came from legit and licensed manufacturers, their quality is questionable as these may not be properly stored or transported based on approved protocol.

The 47-year-old mother, surnamed Pang, used to be a doctor from Shandong. Together with her daughter, Sun, a medical school graduate, the two were detained on suspicion of illegal sale of 25 vaccine types. However, authorities still cannot determine how the two were able to sell and trade the vaccines.

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