Vaccine Scare Has China Moving to Contain Consumer Backlash
- Country’s cabinet vowing jail time, fines for perpetrators
- Scandal sparked protests, demand for foreign-made jabs
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China is trying to contain the backlash over faulty vaccines given to babies and toddlers, with its top governing body vowing to punish those involved in a scandal that’s testing faith in the country’s $122 billion drug industry.
The fraud -- which sparked protests at government offices in Beijing and spurred Chinese parents to seek out foreign-made vaccinations in Hong Kong -- was discussed at a State Council meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Monday. Those responsible for making the poor-quality vaccines face hefty fines, jail sentences and bans for life from the drug industry, according to published remarks from the meeting.