Rabies vaccine recalled but health danger denied

• Source: Global Times
• [08:11 December 09 2009]
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"The difference from previous cases is that the vaccine's quality problem this time is connected with effectiveness rather than safety concerns," said Wu Lihua, deputy director of the Food and Drug Administration of Anhui Province.

"The problematic vaccines are produced by legal manufacturers and accessed to local medical and health institutions via legal channels, and the main problem is lack of concentration," she said.

If the vaccine's effectiveness is below standard, it creates only partial antibodies in the human body, leaving people still vulnerable to rabies. But revaccination in time will strengthen the antibodies.

"The patients who received the problematic vaccine may receive medical consultations and revaccination at the original inoculation hospitals," said Wu Lihua.

The SFDA announced on December 3 that seven batches of rabies vaccine for human use produced by Jiangsu Yanshen Biological Technology and Hebei Forwell Biopharm during July to October 2008 had been identified with quality problems.

The SFDA had ordered the two manufacturers to halt marketing and production of all products including human use rabies vaccine and had organized experts to provide an assessment of risks presented by the problem vaccine.

Rabies is caused by a natural virus that brings about diseases of both human beings and animals. The death rate is 100 percent. Vaccine is the only preventive medicine for the disease.

About 2,400 people die of rabies every year in China, the Ministry of Health said in September.