Prosecuting authorities have approved the arrests of 125 people suspected in a vaccine scandal involving 570 million yuan ($87 million), the Supreme People's Procuratorate said on Friday.

Another 37 people involved in the case were being investigated on suspicion of duty-related crimes such as bribery, abuse of power and dereliction of duty, it said.

The vaccines involved in the case had allegedly been sold since 2011 in more than 20 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities by a mother and daughter in Shandong province.