Chinese state-run media and Internet users demanded action Wednesday after the deaths of at least seven babies since November following their vaccinations against hepatitis B.
China's Food and Drug Administration has suspended use of the vaccine involved, manufactured by domestic producer BioKangtai, and is investigating, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
More than 44 million doses of the vaccine are in stock or have been sold to 27 provinces and regions across the country, the Beijing Morning Post said.
An eighth baby died after being given a vaccine made by another company, reports said.
Hepatitis B vaccine is one of around 10 free but compulsory inoculations for most children in China. It is injected within 24 hours of birth, with further doses at one and six months.
Tests have not so far shown that the shots caused the babies' deaths, but they come against a backdrop of a series of food and health safety scandals in recent years, largely due to lax and corrupt supervision and law enforcement, heightening public concern.
"Deadly vaccine" was the second-hottest topic on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo on Wednesday—after "Merry Christmas"—with most postings voicing worries and anger at product quality authorities.
"I was trembling while taking my little girl for vaccine today, fearing an accident like the hepatitis B one may happen to her. Nothing is safe in this world," said a user with the online handle "New Makeup".
The state-run Global Times called on the authorities to take a hard line in handling the case and punishing those responsible.
"This time, the authorities need to respond quickly to public concerns and suspicions, make a thorough investigation, severely penalise those responsible for the scandal and take the chance to better regulate the whole industry," it said in a commentary.
Chinese authorities have a mixed record on health issues. They were accused of covering up the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003 that killed hundreds of people around the world, but the World Health Organization has more recently praised their openness over bird flu.
In 2008, six children were killed and thousands of others sickened in a tainted baby formula scandal.
In March 2010, allegations that four children died and 70 others fell ill in the northern province of Shanxi after being vaccinated sparked public fears, although authorities denied the shots had caused the deaths.
Zheng Xiaoyu, former head of China's food and drug safety watchdog, was executed in 2007 for accepting $850,000 in bribes for granting approvals for hundreds of medicines, some of which were later found to be dangerous.
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Chinese state-run media and Internet users demanded action Wednesday after the deaths of at least seven babies since November following their vaccinations against hepatitis B.
China's Food and Drug Administration has suspended use of the vaccine involved, manufactured by domestic producer BioKangtai, and is investigating, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
More than 44 million doses of the vaccine are in stock or have been sold to 27 provinces and regions across the country, the Beijing Morning Post said.
An eighth baby died after being given a vaccine made by another company, reports said.
Hepatitis B vaccine is one of around 10 free but compulsory inoculations for most children in China. It is injected within 24 hours of birth, with further doses at one and six months.
Tests have not so far shown that the shots caused the babies' deaths, but they come against a backdrop of a series of food and health safety scandals in recent years, largely due to lax and corrupt supervision and law enforcement, heightening public concern.
"Deadly vaccine" was the second-hottest topic on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo on Wednesday—after "Merry Christmas"—with most postings voicing worries and anger at product quality authorities.
"I was trembling while taking my little girl for vaccine today, fearing an accident like the hepatitis B one may happen to her. Nothing is safe in this world," said a user with the online handle "New Makeup".
The state-run Global Times called on the authorities to take a hard line in handling the case and punishing those responsible.
"This time, the authorities need to respond quickly to public concerns and suspicions, make a thorough investigation, severely penalise those responsible for the scandal and take the chance to better regulate the whole industry," it said in a commentary.
Chinese authorities have a mixed record on health issues. They were accused of covering up the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003 that killed hundreds of people around the world, but the World Health Organization has more recently praised their openness over bird flu.
In 2008, six children were killed and thousands of others sickened in a tainted baby formula scandal.
In March 2010, allegations that four children died and 70 others fell ill in the northern province of Shanxi after being vaccinated sparked public fears, although authorities denied the shots had caused the deaths.
Zheng Xiaoyu, former head of China's food and drug safety watchdog, was executed in 2007 for accepting $850,000 in bribes for granting approvals for hundreds of medicines, some of which were later found to be dangerous.
Explore further: China investigates vaccine maker after baby deaths (Update)
© 2013 AFP
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China sent health experts to investigate a drug maker Tuesday to see if several recent deaths of babies were related to a vaccine they received in a government immunization program.
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Hong Kong reported its second human case of H7N9 bird flu just days after the first, raising fears that the virus is spreading beyond mainland China.
China says woman died from bird flu new to humans
Dec 18, 2013
Chinese authorities said Wednesday that a 73-year-old Chinese woman died after being infected with a bird flu strain that had sickened a human for the first time, a development that the World Health Organization called "worrisome."
Online pictures of dead birds spur China flu openness
Apr 16, 2013
Photos of 10 dead sparrows on a Chinese pavement which went viral on social media and drew a swift official response show how hard covering up a bird flu outbreak would be in the Internet age.
China H7N9 bird flu area spreads, two new deaths: govt (Update)
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China's H7N9 bird flu spread west to the central province of Henan on Sunday, as government websites and state media reported two deaths and 11 new cases nationwide.
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