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China Fires 4 Officials Over Defective Vaccines China Fires 10 Officials Over Bad Vaccines as Anger Mounts
(about 20 hours later)
BEIJING — Chinese leaders have fired four officials and punished dozens more in connection with a scandal over faulty vaccines that has undermined President Xi Jinping and fueled protests by parents. BEIJING — The Chinese leadership, bowing to immense public pressure, has fired 10 officials and punished dozens more in connection with a scandal over faulty vaccines that has undermined President Xi Jinping and fueled parent protests.
China’s top leadership body, the Politburo Standing Committee, announced the punishments on Thursday in a bid to restore confidence in the nation’s health care system, experts said. The government said on Saturday that it had removed six senior officials at the China Food and Drug Administration for their role in a scandal that left hundreds of thousands of children with faulty vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. Another four officials accused of wrongdoing were fired on Thursday after a meeting of Mr. Xi and China’s top leaders.
The government drew widespread criticism last month amid reports that hundreds of thousands of children had been injected with faulty vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. While the government has said the children were unharmed, the case has touched a nerve among Chinese parents frustrated by years of similar food and medicine scandals. The dismissals were the latest attempt to quell public anger over the affair, which has hurt confidence in the nation’s health care system and raised questions about Mr. Xi’s leadership. Criticism of officials and companies has swelled since news of the defective vaccines emerged on social media last month, and parents have organized protests to demand compensation for the affected families.
In an attempt to ease the anger, Mr. Xi and other top officials vowed severe punishments for those involved in the misconduct. They said on Thursday that 35 officials would be held accountable. While the government said the children were unharmed, the case has touched a nerve among Chinese parents frustrated by years of similar food and medicine scandals.
Mr. Xi and other top officials vowed severe punishments for those involved in the misconduct. They said on Thursday that 35 officials would be held accountable.
“Vaccines are a matter of public health and national security,” the Politburo Standing Committee, which Mr. Xi leads, said in a statement that was published by Xinhua, the official news agency. “This case resulted in a negative impact and exposed many loopholes.”“Vaccines are a matter of public health and national security,” the Politburo Standing Committee, which Mr. Xi leads, said in a statement that was published by Xinhua, the official news agency. “This case resulted in a negative impact and exposed many loopholes.”
The committee also urged the China Food and Drug Administration and local government agencies to engage in “profound self-criticism.”The committee also urged the China Food and Drug Administration and local government agencies to engage in “profound self-criticism.”
The dismissals underscored Mr. Xi’s determination to move beyond the scandal at a difficult moment in his presidency. Mr. Xi’s personal oversight of the punishments reflected his determination to move beyond the scandal at a difficult moment in his presidency.
Mr. Xi’s critics have grown increasingly emboldened as he has faced a series of troubles, including a heated trade dispute with the United States and a slowing economy. Mr. Xi’s critics have grown louder as he has faced a series of troubles, including a heated trade dispute with the United States and a slowing economy. His vast centralization of power has left him especially vulnerable to criticism in moments of crisis, experts say.
Mr. Xi’s vast centralization of power has left him especially vulnerable to criticism in moments of crisis, experts say.
“There’s no one else to blame when scandals like this erupt,” said Jude Blanchette, a political analyst who is a senior adviser and China head at Crumpton Group.“There’s no one else to blame when scandals like this erupt,” said Jude Blanchette, a political analyst who is a senior adviser and China head at Crumpton Group.
The government focused its investigation on a drug producer in northeast China, Changchun Changsheng, which was accused of making 252,600 doses of ineffective vaccines. The company’s chairwoman and 17 other employees were detained last month in connection with the case, according to state news reports.The government focused its investigation on a drug producer in northeast China, Changchun Changsheng, which was accused of making 252,600 doses of ineffective vaccines. The company’s chairwoman and 17 other employees were detained last month in connection with the case, according to state news reports.
This week, the government said it had discovered that Changchun Changsheng, located in Jilin Province, had produced a second batch of 247,200 faulty vaccines, for a total of 499,800 doses. Most of the vaccines were given to children in eastern China. This past week, the government said it had discovered that Changchun Changsheng, located in Jilin Province, had produced a second batch of 247,200 faulty vaccines, for a total of 499,800 doses. Officials say the company falsified data and used expired ingredients. Most of the vaccines were given to children in eastern China.
“In its reckless pursuit of profits, the company committed grave unlawful acts,” Xinhua said in a report on Thursday.“In its reckless pursuit of profits, the company committed grave unlawful acts,” Xinhua said in a report on Thursday.
The officials fired on Thursday include Bi Jingquan, a former head of the China Food and Drug Administration; Jin Yuhui, a vice governor of Jilin Province who oversaw food and drug safety; Li Jinxiu, another Jilin official who supervised food and drug safety; and Liu Changlong, the mayor of Changchun, the provincial capital. The six officials at the China Food and Drug Administration who were dismissed on Saturday were blamed for failing to catch safety violations at Changchun Changsheng.
The four officials fired on Thursday include Bi Jingquan, a former head of the China Food and Drug Administration; Jin Yuhui, a vice governor of Jilin Province who oversaw food and drug safety; Li Jinxiu, another Jilin official who supervised food and drug safety; and Liu Changlong, the mayor of Changchun, the provincial capital.
A former top official at the China Food and Drug Administration, Wu Zhen, was placed under investigation for corruption, Xinhua said.A former top official at the China Food and Drug Administration, Wu Zhen, was placed under investigation for corruption, Xinhua said.
The government said last month that another company, the state-owned Wuhan Institute of Biological Products in central China, had produced more than 400,000 flawed vaccines. But that company was given a relatively light punishment and was allowed to resume operations. The government said last month that another company, the state-owned Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, had produced more than 400,000 flawed vaccines. But that company was given a relatively light punishment and was allowed to resume operations.
Parents said they were still angry about the vaccines and were skeptical of the government’s vow to clean up the industry.Parents said they were still angry about the vaccines and were skeptical of the government’s vow to clean up the industry.
“We don’t really care who has been punished,” said Min Wen, a father from the southern city of Guangzhou who has pushed the government to compensate the families of children who received the bad vaccines. “We care about who will be responsible for our children.”“We don’t really care who has been punished,” said Min Wen, a father from the southern city of Guangzhou who has pushed the government to compensate the families of children who received the bad vaccines. “We care about who will be responsible for our children.”