Changchun Changsheng Bio-technology, a Shenzhen-listed vaccine company already embroiled in a national uproar, sank even further into scandal following reports that they have been forging production data since 2014, South China Morning Post reports.
Only last month the company’s production license was revoked by the Chinese Drug State Administration after evidence was found that they had violated protocol for its rabies vaccines, as well as sold 252,600 ineffective adsorbed diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (ADPT) shots for infants.
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According to the latest findings of a government investigation, Changsheng Bio-technology not only mixed expired products into batches of rabies vaccines, but have also been incorrectly recording dates and batch numbers since April 2014.
The impact of the scandal is far-reaching, with Indian authorities banning the import of the company’s rabies vaccines and China recalling ‘problematic batches’ sold both at home and abroad. President Xi Jinping, meanwhile, branded the whole scandal “appalling” and has pledged to get to the bottom of the case, according to SCMP.
Changsheng Bio-tech’s chairwoman, Gao Junfang, and other company executives have reportedly been arrested, with investigators telling media on Tuesday that investigations are still underway. Meanwhile, the national government also plans to conduct surprise checks on drug makers across the country, as we previously reported.
The government reaction may still be too slow for some citizens who have reportedly lost faith in China’s public vaccination system. This is the third major vaccine scare to hit China since 2016, with earlier crackdowns resulting in recalls of over 650,000 shots across three provinces, and the detainment of close to 200 for selling expired or unrefrigerated shots.
READ MORE: Massive Vaccine Scandal Rocks China
Additional research by Bailey Hu.
[Cover image via Drew Hays/Unsplash]
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