China rules out vaccine death link

BEIJING - No link has been found to the vaccines given to nine of the children in China who died after receiving hepatitis B shots, health authorities claim.

Doctors check on an infant affected by the recombinant hepatitis B vaccine produced by the Shenzhen-based BioKangtai company, Dec 13, 2013. [Photo by Xie Changgui / Asianewsphoto]

There have been 17 deaths following BioKangtai vaccinations reported between December 13 and 31. All have been investigated or are under investigation. Nine of the cases have nothing to do with the vaccines, director of the disease control bureau of the National Health and Family Planning Commission Yu Jingjin told a press conference.

Preliminary analysis of the eight other cases have also found no link between the deaths and the vaccines, but the cause of the deaths will be confirmed only after autopsies, Yu said.

Also at the press conference, Li Guoqing of the China Food and Drug Administration, said no problems had been found with BioKangtai vaccines in production practices or product quality.