China Launches National Postpartum Vaccine Inspection
Health Lav89 - China Launches National Postpartum Vaccine Inspection. Shanghai, China - China's Health Agency initiated national vaccination checks four months after a scandalous black vaccine procurement worth nearly $ 90 million, allegedly sold in dozens of provinces.
The Chinese authorities will track the purchase and distribution of vaccines and vaccination records to ensure the healthcare facilities are legally trafficked and properly handled and used, the National Family Planning and Health Commission of China said in a statement, published in the network.
Random checks will be performed in 20 percent of hospitals and clinics that provide vaccinations, while all national disease control and prevention agencies will be screened.
In March, the government promised to crack down on vaccine sales on the black market after a mother and daughter in Shandong Province proved to have vaccinated illegally from merchants and sold to hundreds of retailers across China.
The vaccine, which police say is made by a licensed manufacturer, is not stored and transferred according to the procedure in cold conditions, which could mean that patients who use it can suffer severe side effects or even death.
Hong Kong has restricted the number of non-resident children to get vaccinated at a government clinic there after fears that families from the mainland will go to the city to vaccinate and make inventories less.
Previously, China banned drug wholesalers selling vaccines after a dark sale of vaccines, which were not stored properly.
China is pushing for a major shift in healthcare services to boost domestic-made drugs, but the scandal underscores the challenges of the world's second largest drug market in setting up separate chains of their production.
The new rules, signed by Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, and enacted last week, tightened the requirement for the delivery of additional vaccines, Xinhua news agency said.
They require regional health officials to get vaccines directly from the company before sending them to hospitals, not buying through wholesalers, he added.
Hospitals, clinics and government health authorities should also keep their records of purchase and inventory well, by regularly monitoring the temperature of the vaccine. The records should be requested by the hospital when receiving the vaccine.
The same regulation also raises fines for those who do not handle the vaccine properly, and calls for the lifting of government officials who have been found guilty of misuse, Xinhua said.
The government plans to establish electronically vaccine tracking, they said without elaborating.
Chinese authorities sentenced hundreds of officials after a related scandal involving millions of illegal vaccine trade through a network of illegal drugs, and caused public outrage.
The vaccines, including those that prevent meningitis, rabies and other diseases, are believed to have been trafficked across China since 2011. The whole is a "category two" vaccine, which means selling in a special market.
The Chinese authorities will track the purchase and distribution of vaccines and vaccination records to ensure the healthcare facilities are legally trafficked and properly handled and used, the National Family Planning and Health Commission of China said in a statement, published in the network.
Random checks will be performed in 20 percent of hospitals and clinics that provide vaccinations, while all national disease control and prevention agencies will be screened.
In March, the government promised to crack down on vaccine sales on the black market after a mother and daughter in Shandong Province proved to have vaccinated illegally from merchants and sold to hundreds of retailers across China.
The vaccine, which police say is made by a licensed manufacturer, is not stored and transferred according to the procedure in cold conditions, which could mean that patients who use it can suffer severe side effects or even death.
Hong Kong has restricted the number of non-resident children to get vaccinated at a government clinic there after fears that families from the mainland will go to the city to vaccinate and make inventories less.
Previously, China banned drug wholesalers selling vaccines after a dark sale of vaccines, which were not stored properly.
China is pushing for a major shift in healthcare services to boost domestic-made drugs, but the scandal underscores the challenges of the world's second largest drug market in setting up separate chains of their production.
The new rules, signed by Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, and enacted last week, tightened the requirement for the delivery of additional vaccines, Xinhua news agency said.
They require regional health officials to get vaccines directly from the company before sending them to hospitals, not buying through wholesalers, he added.
Hospitals, clinics and government health authorities should also keep their records of purchase and inventory well, by regularly monitoring the temperature of the vaccine. The records should be requested by the hospital when receiving the vaccine.
The same regulation also raises fines for those who do not handle the vaccine properly, and calls for the lifting of government officials who have been found guilty of misuse, Xinhua said.
The government plans to establish electronically vaccine tracking, they said without elaborating.
Chinese authorities sentenced hundreds of officials after a related scandal involving millions of illegal vaccine trade through a network of illegal drugs, and caused public outrage.
The vaccines, including those that prevent meningitis, rabies and other diseases, are believed to have been trafficked across China since 2011. The whole is a "category two" vaccine, which means selling in a special market.
