Zhang Jiawei
ChinaDaily.com.cn
04/23/2010
A total of 44 pupils became sick and was taken to the hospital after receiving the hepatitis B vaccine at school on Thursday in Huilai county, in Jieyang of Guangdong province, the Guangzhou Daily reported Friday.
On Thursday morning, 84 pupils got the injection, and some felt ill half an hour later, and 44 had been taken to the hospital as of 5:00 pm, the newspaper said.
The disease control center of Huilai county said they have used more than 90,000 doses of the same batch of hepatitis B vaccine but did not have any abnormal reactions. The rest of the vaccine has been sealed up.
“The vaccine was transported here by the special refrigerated truck of Jieyang’s disease control center,” said Wu Junqiu, head of the disease control center of Huilai county. He said it was impossible that there were any problems in the storage and transportation process of the vaccine, he said.
The newspaper said the vaccine was produced by a Shenzhen-based biological product company and was valid until Sept 1, 2012. And the syringes, which are valid until October 2012, were produced by a Shanghai-based company.
As of 5:00 pm Thursday, 39 of the pupils didn’t have any obvious symptoms and five suffered from throat congestion, Wu said, adding that experts had checked them one by one.
The cause of the reactions is still being investigated.