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Drug Dealer Seized for E. China Vaccine Accident

Posted on: Tuesday, 5 July 2005, 09:01 CDT

Drug dealer seized for E. China vaccine accident

HEFEI, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The drug dealer selling problematic vaccines to sicken 300 school students in east China's Anhui Province was caught by police in the provincial capital city of Hefei early Monday morning.

Private dealer Zhang Peng, who was at large since the accident broke out, allegedly sold 3,000 doses of hepatitis A vaccines produced by Pukang Biotech Co. in east China's Zhejiang Province to primary and secondary schools in Dazhuang town of Sixian county. Around 2,500 students were vaccinated with the iffy products on June 16 and 17.

One student was killed and another 300 were sickened and suffering from nausea and breathing difficulties shortly after the vaccination.

Officials with the provincial health department said they are yet to determine whether it was a serious allergy to the vaccine or a cardiogenic reaction, and have banned all hepatitis A vaccines manufactured by the Zhejiang-based company.

The remaining doses of the vaccine have been sent to a testing center in Beijing for further tests.

Chinese Minister of Health Gao Qiang Sunday conveyed Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's particular attention to the accident to the Anhui provincial government, demanding strenuous efforts to save the affected pupils.

Among the 300 sickened pupils, 260 had left hospital by 5 p.m. on Saturday and the rest 40 were still under medical observation in local hospitals, according to the government office in charge of the vaccine accident.

Doctors have conducted medical checks on 2,444 students in the 19 accident-hit schools and varied measures were taken to effectively ease the anxiety and worries of local students and their families.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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