THE country’s top legislature is considering imposing heavier penalties on the production and sale of fake or substandard vaccines.

The draft vaccine administration law was submitted for a third review to the bi-monthly legislative session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, which opened yesterday.

The draft stipulates that people whose violations constitute a crime shall bear heavier criminal responsibility in accordance with the law.

Meanwhile, the draft imposes heavier fines on producers and sellers of defective vaccines. Those producing or selling fake vaccines shall face a fine of 15 to 50 times the value of the illicit products, while substandard vaccine makers or sellers face a fine of 10 to 30 times the value.

It also lowers the threshold for fines, by stipulating that fake or substandard vaccines worth less than 500,000 yuan (US$72,908) shall be calculated as 500,000 yuan.

Moreover, producers or sellers of faulty vaccines will face confiscation of illegal proceeds, raw materials, packaging materials and equipment, among others, according to the draft.

Production and business operation will be suspended for rectification, and drug registration certificates or even pharmaceutical production licenses can be revoked, it said.

Other penalties include a lifetime ban for offenders on pharmaceutical production and business operation.

As the country’s first legislation dedicated to vaccine management, the draft law was first submitted to the top legislature for review in December 2018.

(Xinhua)