China vaccine maker Changsheng plunges again after police launch probe

SHANGHAI: Chinese vaccine maker Changsheng Biotechnology plunged by its daily limit of 10 percent in early Tuesday, after the Chinese President Xi Jinping called for swift action.

China's drug regulator has been accused of infecting, sparking public outrage.

While there have been no known reports of people being harmed by the vaccine, Chinese regulators have ordered Changsheng to halt production and recall the product.

Changsheng apologized in a regulatory filing on Monday. The firm was 252,600 substandard DPT vaccines, a mandatory vaccine in China to inoculate children against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus.

Changsheng is now being investigated by multiple authorities in China, including the securities regulator and the country's top graft watchdog. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

The scandal, which dragged down healthcare stocks across the board on Monday, has now wiped around $ 1.8 trillion from Changsheng's Shenzhen-listed shares since mid-July, over half their value.

Sina Weibo microblogging over 600 million views. Chinese citizens have been quick to express their fury online with a discussion. The state-run Global Times newspaper said in an editorial late on Monday the box had created a "tsunami" on the internet.

The scandal has prompted speculation that China would take advantage of China's vaccines as a result of previous scandals, which could lead to a shortage in Chinese-controlled regions like Hong Kong or Macau.

The Hong Kong Department of Health told Reuters Local Supply of Vaccines remained stable and it would closely monitor the situation. Macau's health office said this was not enough.