China Cracks Whip On Fake Vaccine Makers; More Than 80 Arrests

Authorities in Beijing, Jiangsu and Shandong have arrested more than 80 people involved in manufacturing more than 3,000 fake COVID-19 vaccines in China as part of efforts to combat vaccine-related crimes, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing Xinhua News.

According to the Chinese state-run news agency, the suspects had sold the fakes since September 2020 and that the police had tracked down the production of the bogus merchandize.

The suspects "have been making huge profits by filling saline solution into injectors to process and produce fake coronavirus vaccines and selling them at a higher price," CNN quoted the Xinhua report as saying.

Under China's new vaccine law that was enforced in 2019, those producing and selling fake vaccines can be fined between 15 and 50 times the actual market value of the product, while those who manufacture or sell low-grade products face fines of 10 to 30 times the value.

The arrests were made as China ratchets up its vaccine output. So far, around 24 million doses have been given to patients, health officials said, with the objective of vaccinating 50 million people before China celebrates the Lunar New Year later this month.

Meanwhile, China has already launched a massive campaign to inoculate its population with shots produced by two biotech companies, Sinopharm and Sinovac. Both companies have also distributed their vaccines in other countries, including Turkey.

Sinopharm, the government-controlled company whose experimental treatment was the first to be granted emergency use approval in China, said its vaccine was 79.35% effective during clinical tests.

Sinovac, for its part, has stood by its product even as some nations have placed the vaccine under further examination and suspended distribution, but doctors have called on Sinovac to provide more data.

China reported the fewest new cases of the virus in a month as imported cases surpassed local infections, official data showed on Tuesday, indicating the mainland's worst strings of infections since March last year is now being contained ahead of the holiday.

China reported 30 cases on Monday, according to the National Health Commission, down from 42 cases from the previous day and marking its lowest tally since 24 infections were detected on Jan. 2, CNA reported.