China to track illegal vaccine trade

China's top drug regulator, health authorities and police on Monday issued a circular calling for a crack down on those involved in the illegal trade of vaccines.

The Shandong Province drug administration, in east China, last week revealed that "problematic vaccines" worth more than 570 million yuan (88 million U.S. dollars) had been sold illegally in 18 provincial-level regions since 2011.

The case involves 12 vaccines, 2 immune globulin and one therapeutic product allegedly sold by a mother and daughter team. The two are in police custody

The circular asked local drug and health departments to work closely with law enforcement to trace the manufacturing source and to remove any of the contraband off the market as soon as possible.

It called for efforts to identify and apprehend the suspects still at large, and the uncovering of the supply and sales chain of these inferior vaccines.

The China Food and Drug Administration on Sunday gave the pharmaceutical companies and distributors involved a deadline of March 25 to come forward with information about the batch number, sales volume and sales direction of the vaccines.

Although produced by licensed manufacturers, the quality of the vaccines are questionable as they were not transported or stored properly. Endi