Chinese parents demand names of clinics in vaccine scandal
Investigators say vaccinations thought to have been improperly stored are safe, but the lack of specifics has only added to the public’s suspicions
Chinese parents and experts are demanding greater transparency over the location of problematic vaccines and the names of clinics involved in one of the country’s biggest public health scares.
Their calls come as investigators into the illegal sale and distribution of supposedly improperly stored vaccines, to scores of clinics across the country, announced that the vaccines were actually safe and still effective. However, the investigators have not released details of the vaccines, such as batch numbers and which clinics they ended up at.
Twenty-seven people across the country have been formally arrested for running illegal businesses involving the vaccines, China News Service reported.
China punishes hundreds of officials over vaccine scandal
Another four hospital chiefs in Jiangxi province and staff at an immunisation clinic in Liaoning province have been charged with abusing their power to buy the vaccines from illegal channels, according to the report.
The 12 types of private vaccines for children and adults, covering diseases including pneumonia and rabies, ended up in 59 clinics across 23 provinces, found the investigation by the Ministry of Public Security, China Food and Drug Administration and the National Health and Family Planning Commission.
Police seized 23,000 doses of vaccines during a raid last year from a woman in Jinan province who illegally resold others for 570 million yuan (US$88 million or HK$683 million) from 2010 to 2015.