The public were shocked in March when the news that improperly stored vaccines (疫苗) worth millions of dollars were sold to patients all over the country.

China is trying to rebuild public confidence in vaccines after the news struck fear into the hearts of parents. 

Chief government officials should be dismissed if serious vaccine violations (违规) took place in their jurisdictions (管辖区), according to a revised regulation (规定) approved by the State Council. The regulation was passed on Saturday and took effect immediately, the report said. It strengthens management rules for vaccines, including their transportation and storage, and increases punishments for violators.

Vaccines stand for the primary means in most countries to prevent and control infectious diseases, and parents should get their children vaccinated as required by the government, said Yu Wenzhou, an expert at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 

China is trying to restore public confidence in vaccines

Ding Zheng was born with cerebral palsy (脑瘫) in China’s Hubei Province and is studying law at Harvard University. His mother Zou Hongyan is worth a thousand schoolmasters and more.

“There is little value in rescuing the baby. He will become mentally disabled. I suggest you forsake it,” a doctor at Jingzhou District Hospital told Zou on July 21, 1988. Zou was shocked, but she knew she shall not let her boy die. So she started the long journey of rehabilitation(康复) training for Ding.

In order to treat Ding’s illness, Zou sold her house and the family moved into a room of less than 20 square meters. Zou also did many part-time jobs. “Zou took her son to our hospital for treatment when he was at a very early age and continued his treatment non-stop for over ten years, so he could recover to such a great extent.” said the doctor.

Zou tried everything she could to help Ding overcome any difficulty his disability had created. “I don’t want him to feel ashamed about his illness. I ask him to work harder than others and have higher requirements of him,” said Zou. But Zou neither helped Ding with his homework nor forced him to participate in training courses.

Thanks to his mother’s intense nurturing (养育), Ding graduated from the College of Environmental Science and Engineering of Peking University, and then enrolled in the Law School of Peking University in the same year. In March 2016, Ding was admitted by the Law School of Harvard University after working as a lawyer for a year.

In terms of educating children, Zou thinks that an equal relationship between parents and children is very important. Zou has always treated Ding as an equal and likes to discuss important decisions with him. Ding acknowledges that their treating each other as equals is the foundation of their healthy relationship.

Empty nest syndrome (空巢综合征) is a feeling of grief and loneliness parents may experience when their children leave home for the first time, such as to live on their own or to attend a college or university. It is not a clinical condition, however, it can affect the immune system (免疫系统) and result in certain psychological barriers, if left untreated.

All parents are sensitive to empty nest syndrome, and some factors can create a tendency to it. Such factors include an unstable or unsatisfactory marriage, or difficulty accepting change in general. Adults who are also dealing with other stressful life events such as the death of a spouse (配偶) or retirement are also more likely to experience the syndrome.

Symptoms of empty nest syndrome can include depression, a sense of loss of purpose,  worry, stress, and anxiety over the child’s welfare. Many empty nest parents prefer staying indoors, and end up becoming people of few words. Parents who experience empty nest syndrome often question whether they have prepared adequately for their child to live independently.

Empty nest parents often face new challenges, such as establishing a new kind of relationship with their children, having to find other ways to occupy their free time, reconnecting with each other, and a lack of sympathy from people who believe that parents should be happy when their children leave home.

One of the easiest ways for parents to cure empty nest syndrome is to keep in contact with their children. Technological developments such as cell phones, text messaging, and the Internet all allow for increased communication between parents and their children.

Parents going through empty nest syndrome can ease their stress by pursuing their own hobbies and interests in their increased spare time. Experts have advised that overwhelmed (不堪重负的) parents keep a journal, or go back to work if they were full-time parents.

However, prevention is always better than cure. If one child has moved out and you still have others living at home with you, plan in advance for the day when your nest will be empty of all children. Small changes made over time will mean less of a shock when your last child moves out. You may find, with thought and careful planning, that the occasion of your last child leaving home will offer a little happiness too, as you can then implement your plans for an independent life with your spouse.