Chinese shaken by recent vaccine scandal

REUTERS - Beijing residents said they were "extremely worried" by a recent rabies vaccine scandal which has ignited public outrage across the country. China's drug regulator accused Changsheng Biotechnology of fabricating production and inspection records related to a rabies vaccine regularly given to infants. A mother of a ten-month-old surnamed Wang, questioned the viability of other vaccines in boosting immunity following the recent scandal, while a father of a seven-month-old said the government should increase their regulation of the vaccination industry. Chinese President Xi Jinping, quoted by state media on Friday (July 20) evening, said Changsheng's actions were "shocking" and that authorities should deal with the matter swiftly. Xu Jinghe, the deputy commissioner of China's Food and Drug Administration, told state broadcaster CCTV on Sunday (July 22) that the police have launched an investigation into Changsheng, and several suspects have already been detained. Changsheng Biotechnology's shares slipped by the maximum 10 percent limit on Tuesday, while drug safety-related stocks such as Truking Technology, Jiangsu Skyray Instrument and Beijing Bohui Innovation Technology all climbed higher by 10%.