China orders recall of vaccines from abroad

BEIJING: A vaccine scandal that is believed to have affected hundreds of thousands of children in China is now spreading overseas.

Chinese investigators said they have recalled faulty vaccines produced by the company Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology, some of which have been sold abroad, according to a statement available on Wednesday on the National Health Commission’s website.

According to investigators, Changsheng seriously violated production and qualitymanagement protocols in making its rabies vaccine.

“Some batches are mixed with expired solution, and the date and batch number are not accurate,” the statement said.

The commission did not specify which countries the faulty vaccines have been sold to.

Changsheng unleashed a huge public health scare last month, after being accused of forging data and failing safety protocols for its rabies vaccine.

Additionally, the pharma company last autumn reportedly sold substandard diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccines, known as the DTAP vaccine, to at least 200,000 infants.

Food and medicine safety scandals are relatively frequent in China and politically charged.

After the allegations became known, President Xi Jinping called for a swift investigation and severe punishment for those responsible.

Authorities have issued arrest warrants for 18 Changsheng employees, including chairwoman Gao Junfang.