H5N1

Canada: Infected bat 'ran into' hand of BC man who later died from rabies: Health officer

Via CBC News: Infected bat 'ran into' hand of B.C. man who later died from rabies: health officer. Excerpt:

A 21-year-old Parksville, B.C., man who died from rabies after coming into contact with an infected bat on Vancouver Island this spring ran into the nocturnal mammal in an "unusual" daytime encounter, health officials said Tuesday. 

Nick Major was spending time outdoors in mid-May when the bat "essentially ran into his hand," said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. 

Henry said Major may not have realized the gravity of the collision. 

"As is often the case, when you come in contact with a bat, you may not actually see a scratch or bite," Henry said Tuesday. "Clearly, in this case, there was at least a small puncture wound that led to the infection." 

Major developed symptoms of rabies six weeks later and died at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver on Saturday. 

'You made such a tremendous impact' 

Major was a popular martial arts instructor in Parksville, a community of 12,500 people located on the eastern shore of Vancouver Island, about 40 kilometres north of Nanaimo. 

His family has asked for privacy. 

The young man's death has caused an outpouring of grief in the community, and tributes have poured in to the Facebook page of the martial arts studio where he taught.

"I know every parent of boys in this community hopes for their son to turn out as amazing as Nick was," wrote one parent.  

"We all will miss him and the sudden loss of such an incredible role model will be felt deeply by this entire community, young and old." 

Parents posted pictures of their children, beaming as they stood beside Major.  

"You made such a tremendous impact on the people of this community, on the kids who saw you as a hero and friend, on the parents who quickly knew they could trust you absolutely with helping to guide and shape the lives of their kids," wrote another parent. 

"If victory in life is measured by the impact we make, then you have left this life victorious."  

A fundraising page was set up to help Major's family while he was in intensive care. The organizer announced his death Saturday morning. 

"Nick was an inspiration to everyone, and his memory will continue to inspire others as we remember him," she wrote. 

"This was such a shocking and unbelievably devastating loss for Nick's family."  

'Any contact with a bat at all is risky' 

Friends said Major contracted the disease in the Tofino area, on the opposite side of Vancouver Island. 

Henry said it is extremely rare for someone to die from rabies in B.C. 

Major's death marked the second rabies-related fatality in the province since Health Canada began tracking reports of the disease in 1924. The first was in 2003.

China disciplines more than 80 officials linked to major vaccine scandal

Via the South China Morning Post, an AFP report: China disciplines more than 80 officials linked to major vaccine scandal. 

China’s corruption watchdog on Saturday said it had disciplined more than 80 officials linked to a vaccine scandal last year that inflamed public fears over the safety of domestically produced drugs. 

Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology – a major Chinese manufacturer of rabies vaccines – was slapped with a US$1.3 billion fine in October after it was found to have fabricated records. 

Four officials from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), including former deputy director Wu Zhen, have been handed over to prosecutors, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a statement on Saturday. 

State-run news agency Xinhua detailed the allegations against Wu including nepotism and taking bribes. He has also been expelled from the Communist Party, it said.

“Being ‘ruthless to the people’, Wu allegedly abused his power in drug regulation, severely jeopardising the state’s supervision over drugs,” Xinhua said, citing the corruption watchdog.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection also said it would “seriously deal with” more than 80 other provincial or local officials from multiple government organisations, without offering details.

These officials have already been fired or demoted, it said. 

Authorities earlier said the faulty rabies vaccines did not enter the market. But the case provoked outrage from customers fed up with recurring product-safety scandals, particularly in the drug sector. 

The drug company’s chairwoman and 14 employees were arrested after the scandal came to light last July, while more than a dozen national, provincial and local officials were sacked.

Briton dies from rabies after trip to Morocco

Via The Guardian: Briton dies from rabies after trip to Morocco. Excerpt:

A Briton has died after contracting rabies while visiting Morocco, public health officials have said. 

The UK resident was infected with the disease after being bitten by a cat, Public Health England (PHE) said on Monday. 

PHE did not release any further details but reassured the public there was no wider risk. It said health workers and close contacts of the deceased were being assessed and offered vaccination where necessary.  

Jimmy Whitworth, the professor of international public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the Press Association: “My understanding is that this is somebody who had contact with a cat that was behaving abnormally and sought care, I believe in Morocco and in the UK, but unfortunately didn’t receive vaccination until it was too late. I believe that the cat bit this person a few weeks ago.” 

He said that symptoms typically took two to three months to appear but could materialise in as little as a week. “That’s why seeking prompt care and getting vaccination is so important,” he said. “In this tragic case the person didn’t get the vaccine in time.” 

Given the lack of information, Whitworth said it was impossible to know whether the delay was in the UK or Morocco but it illustrated the importance of health workers being aware of the possibility of the disease. 

There are no documented instances of direct human to human transmission of rabies. The disease does not circulate in either wild or domestic animals in the UK, although some species of bats can carry a rabies-like virus.  

It is common elsewhere, including in parts of Asia and Africa. PHE said the case was a reminder to travellers to rabies-affected countries to avoid contact with dogs, cats and other animals wherever possible, and seek advice about the need for a rabies vaccine prior to travel.

Chinese maker of faulty rabies vaccines fined billions of yuan

Via Nature News & Comment: Chinese maker of faulty rabies vaccines fined billions of yuan. Excerpt:

A Chinese pharmaceutical company caught producing faulty rabies vaccines has been fined billions of yuan by national and local agencies. 

China’s national drug regulator announced on 16 October that it will fine Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology 12 million yuan (US$1.7 million), and revoke the company’s licence to make rabies vaccines. 

The regulator determined that when the company created several batches of faulty rabies vaccine, it broke multiple laws, including: using expired products to make the vaccine; not testing the potency of vaccines according to prescribed methods; and destroying evidence to cover up its actions.  

The drug regulator of Jilin province, where the company’s headquarters are based, has issued the firm with a much greater fine: 7.21 billion yuan, which is close to double its reported assets in 2017. The local drug regulator has revoked the company’s licence to produce pharmaceuticals and has banned 14 executives and others involved in the incident from engaging in drug production in the future. It has also ordered the confiscation of illegally produced vaccines and earnings from the company, amounting to 1.89 billion yuan. 

In July, China’s drug regulator announced that a surprise inspection of the company had revealed faked production data for batches of its rabies vaccines. At the same time, the Jilin government exposed violations in the company’s production of a vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough). Several of the company's executives were arrested, and several top officials with the drug regulator resigned following the scandal.

Beaten, terrified and disappeared: China cracks down on faulty vaccine outcry

Via The Guardian: Beaten, terrified and disappeared: China cracks down on faulty vaccine outcry. Excerpt:

There are fears for the safety of a woman campaigning about China’s defective vaccines, with activists saying she has been missing for more than 40 days. Authorities have been clamping down on families demanding redress over hundreds of thousands of doses issued by the government.  

Following revelations in July that a state-sponsored vaccine programme had been using faulty serum, Tan Hua, 38 had been organising parents calling for compensation and changes to how health authorities manage vaccines.

It is one of the largest public health scandals to hit China since the discovery of melamine-tainted baby formula in 2008. Changsheng Biotechnology, based in China’s northern province of Jilin, was found to have sold 250,000 defective vaccines. It also fabricated inspections dating back to 2014. Another major vaccine maker, the state-owned Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, was also producing faulty inoculations for infants.

Tan, who claims she is the victim of a defective rabies vaccine in 2014 and has been protesting for years, was among a group of at least nine other protesters who were detained after attempting to protest in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in early September at the time of a China-Africa summit in the capital. 

He Fangmei, another campaigner, who was with Tan at the time, said: “Some 10 or 20 men in plain clothes surrounded us and caught Tan Hua. I was trying to make calls to other activists for help.” He, who says her daughter became partially paralysed after receiving one of the substandard vaccines discovered this year, was sent back to her home province of Henan.  

Unlike the others who were released or whose family members have received notice of their detention, there has been no news of Tan since she was taken away on 3 September. She reportedly has epilepsy and other health problems and had been seeking compensation in Beijing for disability. “Tan Hua is the only who totally disappeared without any information,” said He.

Authorities have tried to respond swiftly to the latest vaccine scandal, firing senior officials in China’s Food and Drug Administration and detaining the chairwoman of Changsheng as well as more than a dozen other employees. President Xi Jinping promised the government would “investigate to the end” and “effectively respond to the concerns of the people”.  

Yet parents who have become vocal, calling for a vaccine law or more information about vaccine safety, have come under pressure to keep quiet. 

“Authorities simply refuse to work with citizens, even on issues where they are allied,” said Frances Eve, a campaigner with the advocacy group Chinese Human Rights Defenders. “That the [Chinese Communist] party would rather lock up a victim of a very scandal its trying to fix shows it still doesn’t know how to protect social-economic rights.”

China: Teams arrive to check major vaccine producer (updated)

The National Health Commission of the PRC has published Teams arrive to check major vaccine producer. Excerpt:

Latest:  

Cui Honghai, former head of Jilin drug administration, was prosecuted over bribery in Changchun on July 26.  

In a filing to Changchun City Intermediate People's Court, Changchun City People's Procutorate said Cui made use of his position to help others to gain benefits and illegally accepted properties from others, thus he should be held accountable. 

Previous report  

Teams arrive to check major vaccine producer  

Progress to be revealed in timely manner, may help reform system 

An investigative team dispatched by the State Council, China's Cabinet, has arrived in Jilin province to investigate possible violations of the law involving a major vaccine producer that falsified records about its production of rabies vaccine.  

An inspection by China's State Drug Administration on July 15 found that Changchun Changsheng Bio-tech Co, in Changchun, Jilin province, faked production and inspection records. 

The incident aroused public outrage in China because of the virtual 100 percent mortality rate of rabies. 

Bi Jingquan, Party chief of the State Administration for Market Regulation and head of the investigation team, vowed on Tuesday to pursue a thorough investigation and severely punish all responsible, including government officials.  

He said the progress of the investigation will be revealed to the public in a timely manner, and authorities will research how to reform and improve the existing vaccine management system to establish one that guarantees the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.

Update: The BC Centre for Disease Control has posted an alert on its website: Parents of young children from China advised to check immunization records for recalled vaccine. Excerpt:

If your child resided in Chongqing, Shandong or Hebei in the period from March to October 2017, was under 2 years old during that time, and was vaccinated during that time, please check your child’s immunization record.  If you do not have their record, you may be able to obtain it from Chinese public health authorities as outlined in the paragraph above.

 

If your child’s record indicates that they received DTP vaccine with an affected lot number (see above), or if a lot number is not recorded but DTP vaccine was given any time from March to October 2017, please contact your local health unit or immunization service provider to arrange for additional vaccination.

 

Doses of affected lots may not have provided full protection, and your child may be offered additional doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis-containing vaccine, depending on their vaccination history in Canada and their current age.

 

There are no safety concerns related to these vaccines. China has not reported more cases of diphtheria, tetanus or whooping cough in relation to the use of these vaccines.

Chinese President Xi Jinping orders crackdown over ‘appalling’ vaccine scandal

I am very, very glad that I am not the CEO of Changchun Changsheng Bio-technology. Via the South China Morning Post: Chinese President Xi Jinping orders crackdown over ‘appalling’ vaccine scandal. Excerpt:

Chinese President Xi Jinping has described the country’s latest vaccine scandal as “appalling”, pledging a thorough investigation into China’s worst public health crisis in years.

Taking time out from his trip to Africa, Xi said China was determined to clean up the scandal-ridden industry, ordering local authorities to conduct an investigation immediately and release the findings to the public “on time” to ensure social stability.  

“The violations by Changchun Changsheng Bio-technology are serious and appalling,” state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as saying, as police in Changchun took the company’s chairwoman Gao Junfang and four senior executives away for questioning. 

Xi also ordered the authorities to use severe punishment “to cure the chronic disease [of corruption] and scratch poison from one’s bones”. 

He told the authorities to resolutely “improve the supervision of vaccines and guard the bottom line of safety in order to safeguard public interest and social security”. 

The orders echoed zero-tolerance directives by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on the weekend in response to revelations that Changsheng Bio-tech had produced inferior DPT (diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus) vaccines for children as young as three months old.

Thousands of children injected with faulty vaccines in China

Via The New York Times: Thousands of Children Injected with Faulty Vaccines in China. Excerpt:

BEIJING — Chinese parents were in an uproar on Monday amid reports that hundreds of thousands of children might have been injected with faulty vaccines, the latest scandal to hit the nation’s troubled drug industry.  

The outcry came after an investigation by the government showed that a major drug producer in northeast China, Changchun Changsheng, had violated standards in making at least 250,000 doses of vaccine for rabies and other conditions.

The scandal has rekindled fears that corruption and abuse in the nation’s vast pharmaceutical industry are placing ordinary people at risk. It has also undermined President Xi Jinping’s efforts to restore confidence in medicine produced in China at a time when the country is striving to become a leading producer of pharmaceuticals.  

While there were no reports of deaths or illnesses related to the faulty vaccines, many parents were outraged and demanded that the government take action. 

“We always say that kids are the nation’s future, but if we can’t ensure the safety of such a future, what does the future hold for us?” said Huo Xiaoling, 37, who works in marketing in eastern China and has a 1-year-old daughter who received a vaccine made by Changchun Changsheng. 

The scandal has shaken public confidence in the government and led to an unusually fierce outpouring of criticism online. 

The government struggled to contain anger over the scandal, the third such crisis involving vaccines since 2010. As of Monday afternoon, a hashtag about the scandal had received tens of millions of views on Weibo, a popular social media platform. 

Premier Li Keqiang said in a statement on Sunday that the actions of the vaccine producers “crossed a moral line.” He vowed to “resolutely crack down on all illegal and criminal acts that endanger the safety of people’s lives.” 

But many people were unsatisfied with the government’s response. 

One image circulating online showed a screenshot of Mr. Li’s statement on Sunday next to a similar statement he offered after another vaccine scandal in 2016, suggesting the government had done nothing to address the problem. 

“I hope they don’t bitterly disappoint the people again,” one Weibo user wrote.  

Changchun Changsheng, the company at the center of the scandal, also came under attack. Some internet users said executives at the company shown to have broken the law should receive the death penalty. 

“One shot destroys one life,” one person wrote.  

As reports circulated on social media showing that other vaccines produced by the company, including for diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus, might also be affected, many parents rushed to locate their children’s immunization records.  

Public health officials worry that the scandal may prompt Chinese families to opt out of vaccinations, even though they are required by law. The government has said that children who received faulty vaccines should be taken to a hospital to receive another immunization.

China's vaccine maker ordered to stop production, subject to investigation

Further to this morning's post (see below), Xinhua reports: China's vaccine maker ordered to stop production, subject to investigation. Excerpt:

China's drug regulator said on Sunday that it has ordered Changchun Changsheng Life Sciences Limited to stop production and launched an investigation into the company over illegal production of rabies vaccines for human use. 

An official with China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) said it found that the company had fabricated production records and product inspection records, arbitrarily changed process parameters and equipment during its production of freeze-dried human rabies vaccines.  

The CFDA had revoked the company's drug GMP certificate following its serious violations of relevant law and regulations, and demanded a recall of unused vaccines, according to the official. 

The administration and the food and drug bureau of northeast China's Jilin Province have launched an investigation into the company and those criminal suspects would be transfered to the public security department, said the official.  

The CFDA and Jilin provincial food and drug bureau launched an unannounced inspection of the company on July 5 upon tip-off. On July 15, CFDA made an announcement on the company's illegal production of freeze-dried human rabies vaccines after a comprehensive investigation on the same day. 

The administration has launched further tests on samples kept by the company to ascertain the effectiveness of its vaccines.

China: Changchun vaccine scandal causes outrage on Weibo

Thanks to my colleague Yu Shengnan for alerting me to this story. Via What's On Weibo:  Changchun Vaccine Scandal Causes Outrage on Weibo.

A new vaccine scandal involving Changchun Changsheng, China’s second-largest producer of anti-rabies vaccines, has caused a tsunami of outrage and media coverage in China this week. 

China’s State Food and Drug Administration found that the Jilin-based Changchun company did only not produce fake anti-rabies vaccines, but also substandard DPT[diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus] vaccines, Caijing News reports on Weibo.  

The news about Changchun’s violations already came out on July 15th, but especially led to a social media storm this weekend after reports leaked online exposing that the same company had already violated production laws as early as October of last year.  

It is not the first time China faces serious problems in its vaccine programmes. In November of 2017, over 650,000 faulty – uneffective – vaccines were recalled in Shandong, Hebei and Chongqing. 

In 2016, another scandal concerning the distribution of illegal and potentially deadly vaccines also became a major trending topic on Chinese social media.  

It is mandatory for children to be vaccinated in line with the China National Immunization Programme. 

At time of writing, the hashtag “Changchun Changsheng Counterfeit Vaccines” (#长春长生造假疫苗#) has already received over 49 million views on Weibo. 

The current scandal adds to parents’ mistrust of vaccines in China, with thousands of people on Weibo demanding that those responsible for these violations should be given capital punishment. 

On the various Weibo accounts of Chinese state media and local authorities, however, a post has been published that asks people to “not let anger and panic spread,” and to trust that “the relevant departments will deal with this issue in a timely manner.” 

Various essays and comments threads about the faulty vaccines were no longer visible as of Sunday afternoon. While Beijing News reports that the Changchun vaccines were not used in Beijing, many questions still linger for worried parents in many other parts of the country.