China considers tough law against faulty vaccines

Xinhua Updated: 2019-06-26

BEIJING -- The top legislature Tuesday began reviewing a draft law on vaccine administration, which requires the "strictest" management by setting up a whole-process supervision system and toughening penalties for producing and selling fake or substandard vaccines.

The draft was submitted for a third review to the bi-monthly legislative session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, which opened Tuesday.

According to the draft, supervision of vaccines should be tightened and expanded to cover the whole process, from vaccine development to production, distribution and vaccination.

Specialized inspection teams of pharmaceutical professionals will be established at the central and provincial levels to strengthen supervision on vaccines, says the draft law.

It also introduces an electronic system to track vaccines from production to use. For instance, vaccination data, including a vaccine's information, expiry date, use date, medical workers who issue the vaccines and their recipients should be recorded and retained for at least five years after the expiry of the vaccine, according to the draft.

To increase the transparency of the industry, vaccine license holders are required to publish vaccine information on their websites in a timely manner, including product instructions and labels, official approval, recall information, inspections and punishment received and compulsory insurances covered.

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