Press Release
DH investigating a case of suspected unregistered flu vaccines
1 December 2005
The Department of Health (DH) is investigating a case in which un-registered influenza vaccine were sold to a number of private medical clinics in Hong Kong.
Initial investigations revealed that a total of 2 700 doses of "Vaxigrip" , a French branded flu vaccine, were imported illegally from the Mainland recently.
Most of the unregistered vaccines were supplied to the Raffles Medical Centre which has clinics in Central, Tsim Sha Tsui and the Hong Kong International Airport and the Blue Care's clinic in Central on November 10. About 200 doses went to other private clinics including Healthcare Medical Centre in Po Tin Shopping Centre, Tuen Mun.
Speaking to the media at a press briefing today (December 1), Dr Cindy Lai, Assistant Director of DH called on members of the public who had recently received influenza vaccination from the private clinics concerned to call the DH hotline 2575 1221 for health advice.
The hotline will operate until 9 pm today and from 9 am to 5 pm tomorrow.
Dr Lai said a total of 1 109 doses of unregistered "Vaxigrip" were seized from the aforesaid clinics.
It is believed that, about 1 600 dose of the vaccines in question were used for people who approached these clinics for vaccination.
Dr Lai said that according to the package of the seized vaccines, the vaccines were packaged by Aventis Pasteur in Shenzhen. The registered flu vaccines with the same brandname being used in Hong Kong are made by the same manufacturer in its plant in France.
"As the vaccines were illegally imported, the cold chain may not be maintained properly. Not keeping the cold chain for vaccines properly may affect the potency of the vaccines but there is no known harmful effect," Dr Lai said, adding: "The DH will look into if there are reports of adverse effects relating to the injection of unregistered flu vaccines."
She called on people who had received flu vaccination from the clinics concerned since November 10 to seek medical advice by calling the hotlines 9433 6769 (Raffles Medical Centre), 2523 1808 (Blue Care) or 2449 6880 (Healthcare Medical Centre).
She also urged doctors to report to DH's drug complaint hotline 2572 2068 on any suspected supply of unregistered pharmaceutical products.
"Under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (PPO), all pharmaceutical products must first be registered before they could be imported and supplied for use in Hong Kong.
"It is an offence for any person to supply unregistered pharmaceutical product. If convicted, the person concerned is liable to a maximum penalty of a fine of $100 000 and two years' imprisonment," Dr Lai said.