Chinese parents stage protest over vaccine

Beijing : About a dozen people held a rare protest outside China’s Health Ministry to demand action over a vaccine scandal that has inflamed public fears over the safety of domestically produced drugs. Video clips of the daring demonstration in front of the ministry were widely circulated on Twitter and other social media on Monday, showing the protesters holding banners urging accountability and justice in the latest case.

“Legislation for vaccines is imperative! Handle this properly and responsibly!” they shouted in the footage. Social media posts said the demonstration took place on Monday but AFP was unable to independently confirm that. The fate of the protesters, whose banners described them as parents, was not known. An AFP journalist who arrived later at the location found no one there.

China’s latest product-safety scare emerged more than a week ago with news that major pharmaceutical manufacturer Changchun Changsheng Biotechnology had fabricated records and was ordered to cease production of rabies vaccines. The government has said the suspect vaccine did not enter the market, but the case has provoked unusually strong outrage from Chinese consumers fed up with recurring safety scandals. The protester’s banners bore headlines saying “Vaccines?” and messages including “Please give the victims justice”.