Three punished for school vaccine incident
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-01-12 16:58

Three people who were directly responsible for an east China hepatitis A vaccine incident in which one kid was killed and another 300 were sickened after the vaccination last year were sentenced to imprisonment of different terms.

The three were Zhou Shiming, formerly president of Dazhuang Township Hospital of Sixian County in east China's Anhui Province, Hou Huafeng, head of Dazhuang epidemic prevention and health center, and Zhou Shikai, a center worker who was in charge of hepatitis vaccine purchase.

Both Zhou Shiming and Hou Huafeng were sentenced to two years' imprisonment for being abuse of power. Zhou Shikai was given a jail term of a year and half.

Hou lodged an appeal to a higher court and the second-instant trial is to be held Thursday.

Three more county-level health officials who were held responsible for the problematic hepatitis vaccine were given disciplinary warnings within the Party.

On June 16 and 17 last year, some 2,500 primary and middle school pupils were vaccinated with the iffy hepatitis A vaccines. About 300 pupils suffered from nausea and breathing difficulties shortly after the vaccination. One pupil was killed on June 23.