Many Chinese parents expressed frustration and anger recently over the shortage of vaccines. Some parents event went to the Hong Kong border to get their children vaccinated.
One parent from Guangzhou said, "I have been calling the community clinic time and time again since May, and they always tell me that the vaccine is out of stock."
Chinese officials said that the shortages are caused by the central government's attempt to have a stricter drug importation system. Because of this, many pharmaceutical companies have also stopped importation of vaccines to China.
One of these pharmaceutical companies is Pfizer. The drug company recently stopped importation of the pneumonia vaccine Prevenar to China. Pfizer's importation license for the drug was also not renewed.
Cancellation of permits has caused the vaccine supply to decrease even further. Chinese parents are then left to independently look for available vaccines all over the country.
Local producers are also having a difficult time meeting the huge demand for vaccines, particularly the Type 1 vaccine. According to the Dongguan Center for Disease Control website, Type 1 vaccines will only be available next month.
The Chinese government claimed that they are doing the best that they can. Chinese President Xi Jinping promised "protecting the people's health a priority."
In an attempt to crack down on the sale of illegal vaccines, the government arrested 37 individuals for selling tainted and improperly stored vaccines. The vaccines sold totaled to $88 million.
The drug ring was arrested in Shandong and had been operating since 2011.