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.
The regulation requires B-class (non-compulsory) vaccines to be given out like A-class. It also requires disease control departments, hospitals and clinics to keep records of purchases and received inventory (存货清单). China will establish a system to track vaccines, according to the regulation. Companies and user agencies must record use, so all vaccines can be tracked across their life cycle.
China will also raise the amount of compensation paid to those suffering abnormalities (反常) after receiving vaccines. Measures under consideration include the introduction of commercial insurance to improve fairness and efficiency in compensation. Commercial insurance is expected to play an important role in compensating people for any health problems connected with vaccines. In the past, responsibility for compensation belonged to vaccine producers or to the government.Meanwhile, local authorities are trying to reduce public worries. At Zhecheng hospital, health workers were spreading vaccine information to parents on Monday. In Northeast China’s Jilin province, authorities are pioneering a digital system that makes vaccines storage transparent to the public. In Hefei, capital of Eastern Anhui province, authorities have developed a smart phone application that shares vaccine information.
Immunization (免疫) is the most economic, effective and safest way of preventing, controlling and getting rid of communicable diseases, said Mao Qun’an, spokesperson for the National Health and Family Planning Commission. Although vaccines can provide immunization against certain diseases, they can also cause side effects and result in serious physical harm in some individuals because of a person’s health condition, although the chances of developing problems are extremely low, according to experts.
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
The (1) news | The improperly stored vaccines were sold to patients (2) |
The (3) of the revised regulation | ●Chief government officials will take responsibility if serious vaccine violations (4) in their jurisdictions. ●B-class vaccines are required to be distributed in the (5) way as A-class. ●Purchases of vaccines and received inventory should be (6) . ●A tracking system will be established. |
Other measures taken by the government | ● (7) commercial insurance to compensate people for any health problems connected with vaccines. ●Make the vaccine information (8) to the public. |
The truth about vaccines | ●Vaccines cause physical (9) to some people because of a person’s health condition. ●Vaccines (10) the primary means in most countries to prevent and control infectious diseases. |