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All Chinese were very concerned about the reports of vaccines being purchased by a private family and resold to hospitals and clinics recently. This jaw-dropping news also provoked a credit crisis among the Chinese, especially for young parents.
A massive illegal vaccine operation was uncovered by law enforcement officials several days ago in Shandong province[1], China, and this is so different from the India vaccine fight [2]. The illegal vaccine ring involved hundreds of people, and affected 24 provinces and cities which including about 3/4 people (1.05 billion). The illegal vaccine ring was said to have been in operation since 2011, which included those for polio, rabies, mumps, encephalitis, hepatitis B and meningococcal diseases; and the $88m worth of vaccines were not adequately refrigerated or transported in approved conditions. All these vaccines were purchased from licensed and unlicensed sources, and then sold on to illegal agents or local disease control and prevention centers for high prices. 24 provinces, 5 years already, and how many children?
Public confidence in China’s health system and food safety regime has been shaken by a number of scandals in recent years, most notably in 2008 when melamine was found to have been added to milk powder, resulting in six babies dying and 300,000 falling ill.
Just as with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa stubbornly hanging on, officials have brokered an agreement to ensure that a vaccine is available to fight future occurrences. In this process, the unusual deal ensures Ebola vaccine supply[3].
“You can't patch up that kind of trust once the confidence is lost”. Along with the increasing types of vaccine in China even including H pylori vaccine[4]. We urge China’s government to weigh this health damage against social gain and to take steps to mitigate it. Even if the government spends more effort in the future, it doesn’t mean that confidence will come back.
Despite China’s great economic achievements, its childcare services and China’s health system remain underfunded and underdeveloped. There is an urgent need for policy reform and strategies to tackle the problem.
Reference
1. Parry J. Crackdown on illegal vaccine sales in China leads to 37 arrests. BMJ 2016;352:i1750.
2. The week in science: 11–17 March 2016, India vaccine fight. Nature News 531, 280–281.
3. Erika Check Hayden. Unusual deal ensures Ebola vaccine supply. Nature, 20 January 2016.
4. Zeng M, Mao XH, Li JX, et al. Efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of an oral recombinant Helicobacter pylori vaccine in children in China: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet 2015; 386: 1457-1464.
Sulai liu Yuan Li Lin Qi*
Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
*urinologist_xyql@163.com
Competing interests:
No competing interests
14 April 2016
Qi Lin
doctor
Sulai Liu , Yuan Li
Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
Important to note that the suspect vaccines are in the "Class2" vaccine category, which relates to privately-supplied and distributed non-essential and non-funded vaccines. These are distinct from the "Class 1" vaccines that are recommended and publicly funded for children as part of China's national immunsiation programme. Class 1 vaccines are purchased and distributed by a centralised state-managed system that has a verified cold chain supply network and is not implicated in the current scandal. Health authorities in China are trying to reassure the public that there are no quality problems with the national childhood immunisation program, which has helped reduce or eliminate diseases such as measles and hepatitis B.
Re: Crackdown on illegal vaccine sales in China leads to 37 arrests
All Chinese were very concerned about the reports of vaccines being purchased by a private family and resold to hospitals and clinics recently. This jaw-dropping news also provoked a credit crisis among the Chinese, especially for young parents.
A massive illegal vaccine operation was uncovered by law enforcement officials several days ago in Shandong province[1], China, and this is so different from the India vaccine fight [2]. The illegal vaccine ring involved hundreds of people, and affected 24 provinces and cities which including about 3/4 people (1.05 billion). The illegal vaccine ring was said to have been in operation since 2011, which included those for polio, rabies, mumps, encephalitis, hepatitis B and meningococcal diseases; and the $88m worth of vaccines were not adequately refrigerated or transported in approved conditions. All these vaccines were purchased from licensed and unlicensed sources, and then sold on to illegal agents or local disease control and prevention centers for high prices. 24 provinces, 5 years already, and how many children?
Public confidence in China’s health system and food safety regime has been shaken by a number of scandals in recent years, most notably in 2008 when melamine was found to have been added to milk powder, resulting in six babies dying and 300,000 falling ill.
Just as with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa stubbornly hanging on, officials have brokered an agreement to ensure that a vaccine is available to fight future occurrences. In this process, the unusual deal ensures Ebola vaccine supply[3].
“You can't patch up that kind of trust once the confidence is lost”. Along with the increasing types of vaccine in China even including H pylori vaccine[4]. We urge China’s government to weigh this health damage against social gain and to take steps to mitigate it. Even if the government spends more effort in the future, it doesn’t mean that confidence will come back.
Despite China’s great economic achievements, its childcare services and China’s health system remain underfunded and underdeveloped. There is an urgent need for policy reform and strategies to tackle the problem.
Reference
1. Parry J. Crackdown on illegal vaccine sales in China leads to 37 arrests. BMJ 2016;352:i1750.
2. The week in science: 11–17 March 2016, India vaccine fight. Nature News 531, 280–281.
3. Erika Check Hayden. Unusual deal ensures Ebola vaccine supply. Nature, 20 January 2016.
4. Zeng M, Mao XH, Li JX, et al. Efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of an oral recombinant Helicobacter pylori vaccine in children in China: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet 2015; 386: 1457-1464.
Sulai liu Yuan Li Lin Qi*
Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
*urinologist_xyql@163.com
Competing interests: No competing interests