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China vaccine scandal: 37 arrested | China vaccine scandal: 37 arrested |
(35 minutes later) | |
Thirty-seven people have been arrested in eastern China over a huge vaccine scandal, state media report. | Thirty-seven people have been arrested in eastern China over a huge vaccine scandal, state media report. |
It comes after police in Shandong announced last month they had arrested a mother and her daughter accused of buying and selling vaccines illegally. | It comes after police in Shandong announced last month they had arrested a mother and her daughter accused of buying and selling vaccines illegally. |
The estimated $88m (£61m) worth of vaccines were not properly refrigerated or transported. | The estimated $88m (£61m) worth of vaccines were not properly refrigerated or transported. |
The illegal vaccine ring, said to have been in operation since 2011, has sparked widespread anger in China. | The illegal vaccine ring, said to have been in operation since 2011, has sparked widespread anger in China. |
The scandal has led to a crackdown, with checks ordered on vaccine makers, wholesalers and buyers. | The scandal has led to a crackdown, with checks ordered on vaccine makers, wholesalers and buyers. |
The vaccines were bought from a variety of sources, both licensed and unlicensed, then sold on to both illegal agents and legal local disease control and prevention centres at inflated prices, reported the Xinhua news agency. | The vaccines were bought from a variety of sources, both licensed and unlicensed, then sold on to both illegal agents and legal local disease control and prevention centres at inflated prices, reported the Xinhua news agency. |
The ring is alleged to have involved hundreds of people across 20 provinces, it said. | The ring is alleged to have involved hundreds of people across 20 provinces, it said. |
Though authorities had known about it since April last year, they only made the news public late on Friday when they issued a call demanding that suppliers come forward to help them trace potential victims. | Though authorities had known about it since April last year, they only made the news public late on Friday when they issued a call demanding that suppliers come forward to help them trace potential victims. |
The delay has angered many people in China who questioned why the authorities had not alerted the public earlier. | The delay has angered many people in China who questioned why the authorities had not alerted the public earlier. |
Local authorities have now been given a deadline of Friday to identify who bought the medicines. | Local authorities have now been given a deadline of Friday to identify who bought the medicines. |
Three pharmaceutical companies are being investigated, Xinhua reports, citing people handling the case. One, Shandong Zhaoxin Bio-tech Co, has been ordered to suspend operations, it added. | Three pharmaceutical companies are being investigated, Xinhua reports, citing people handling the case. One, Shandong Zhaoxin Bio-tech Co, has been ordered to suspend operations, it added. |
The China office of the World Health Organization (WHO) said vaccines needed to be handled properly or they can become less effective. | |
But it stressed that improperly kept vaccines did not in themselves present much danger. | |
"It is important to note, however, that improperly stored or expired vaccine seldom if ever causes a toxic reaction. Therefore there is likely to be minimal safety risk in this particular situation,'' the WHO said. |
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