China had yet another vaccine problem. This time, the child of parents in Hebei Province was supposed to have been vaccinated with a 5-way vaccine at a price 600 yuan (US$ 89). However, a community health service center administered the Hib vaccine instead.
5-way vaccine, priced at 600 yuan (US$ 89), is for vaccinating against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, and the haemophilus influenza type b infection. However the Hib vaccine, which sells for around 100 yuan (US$ 15), targets only the haemophilus influenza type b infection, the last of the five diseases. In other words, the functions of 5-way vaccine include the function of the Hib vaccine and more. The swap would potentially expose the child to diseases that the Hib vaccine cannot prevent.
The local government of Shijiazhuang city, where the community health center is located, announced on February 1 that the report of the “vaccination error” was true, although the vaccine had no quality problem. The center’s chief and a few staff members were fired immediately.
China has seen multiple vaccine scandals. Last year, Changchun Changsheng Biotech sold 252,600 doses of ineffective DPT vaccines to inoculate children. A month ago, in Jiangsu Province, a scandal occurred involving another expired vaccine, triggering mass protests and suppression from the government.
Source: Central News Agency, February 2, 2019
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/201902020166.aspx