Fake or bad drugs have caused the death of plenty of people in China in recent years and caused concern about drug safety.
Rabies has claimed the lives of more people in China than tuberculosis or AIDS in each of the past seven months, according to reports. The Health Ministry has prompted a crackdown in the capital and other provinces to control unregistered dogs.As fake and poor quality rabies vaccines are to be blamed, the Food and Drug body has ordered the local authorities to report findings on fake vaccines to the central government by July next year.
The statement did not provide details on how many people may have been affected by fake vaccines.
The country's food and drug watchdog has warned that China will severely punish companies producing fake and sub-standard rabies vaccines.
'Vaccines with quality problems will be sealed where found and seriously dealt with according to the law,' the State Food and Drug Administration said on its Web site (www.sfda.gov.cn). It added, 'This will prevent unqualified vaccines from entering shops and places of use'. The statement also said, 'Cases which seriously harm people's health, or are criminal in nature, will be handed over to the police in a timely manner for investigation.' it said.
The health ministry has recorded 2,254 rabies infections in the first nine months of 2006.
Advertisement
PRI/ASH/L
