Investigations continue into Boao vaccine scandal

The Boao vaccine scandal has triggered an accountability mechanism, the Qionghai CPC commission for discipline inspection and supervision commission said on its WeChat account Saturday.

A netizen wrote on March 24 that the HPV 9-valent cervical cancer vaccine that she had been injected with at Boao Yinfeng Healthcare International Hospital in Qionghai, Hainan province was fake.

The news sparked widespread public concern and led to government investigation.

Located in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, the hospital has vaccinated 38 customers with HPV 9-valent since January last year, charging most 9,000 yuan ($1,330). One person was given an injection as a welfare treatment.

It did so without obtaining an official vaccination outpatient license, said a statement jointly issued April 29 by Hainan's Health Commission, Market Supervision Administration, Drug Administration, and Public Security Department.

It said Qionghai's health commission, which administers the Boao pilot zone, notified the hospital of penalties on April 18, which included a warning, confiscation of more than 201,000 yuan in illegal income, a fine of 8,000 yuan and a revocation of its business license as a medical institution.

Further investigations are underway on the suspected sources of HPV 9-valent vaccines illegally administered at Yinfeng hospital.

Provincial government has established a working group to supervise the investigations and legal enforcement. It has also made its first round of contacts with people who received the vaccines at Yinfeng hospital, has listened to their opinions, and will take action to safeguard their rights.

"Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone is the first national medical tourism pilot zone approved by the State Council.

" The illegal operation and blatant violations of the law and regulations by the medical institution in the zone has had a negative impact," He Chunfang, member of the seventh CPPCC Committee of Hainan Province, said Tuesday, as reported by the Journal of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

He said the incident also showed there are loopholes in the local administration and supervision of the pilot zone.

He suggested that local authorities learn from the incident, improve regulations, and work out supporting measures as soon as possible to maintain the overall image of Hainan Free Trade Zone.