內地疫苗造假須嚴懲 來港打針趨勢需留意

<轉載自2018年7月24日 明報 社評>

內地爆發劣質疫苗風波，疫苗龍頭企業長生生物科技公司（下稱長生生物）的疫苗，先後被揭不合格和造假，總理李克強狠批事件跌穿道德底線，必須要給全國人民一個明明白白交代。近年內地修訂疫苗管理條例，加強監管和罰則，地方失職官員要「人頭落地」，然而劣質疫苗仍是禁之不絕，今次事件惡劣程度，令人聯想起10年前的三鹿毒奶粉，內地民眾對國產疫苗整體信心受挫，更多家長可能寧願帶子女來港接種各類疫苗。本港衛生署應密切留意情况，確保各類疫苗供應充足。

疫苗造假禁之不絕 民眾信心不易恢復

長生生物總部設於吉林長春，一年營業額超過15億元，利潤絕大部分來自子公司長春長生的疫苗。根據批發銷售數字，該公司的瘋狗症疫苗和水痘疫苗位列內地第2位，未料金玉其外，敗絮其中。國家藥品監督管理局指出，長生的瘋狗症疫苗生產過程存在造假問題，包括編造生產和產品檢驗紀錄，並隨意變更工藝參數和設備。不久後，吉林省藥監局又公布，長生一款百日咳、白喉、破傷風三合一疫苗不合格，涉及25萬支，罰款340萬元人民幣。

劣質疫苗關乎人命，黑心商人絕對不能姑息。長生是內地疫苗龍頭企業之一，今次疫苗造假和不合格醜聞，可能只是冰山一角，內地有媒體將事件與10年前三鹿毒奶粉相提並論，連官方新華社和《人民日報》都發表評論，怒斥「傷天害理」，反映官方亦明白民情憤慨，必須嚴懲不法分子並向失職官員問責，始能平息民眾怒火。

中國是全球最大疫苗生產國，年產超過10億劑次，國產疫苗約佔全國實際接種量95%以上。一竹篙打一船人，也許未必公允，惟內地劣質疫苗問題一再發生，足證業界害群之馬確實不少。內地疫苗造假，通常牽涉黑心企業為求節省成本，在疫苗有效成分方面造假。兩年前，山東爆出「假疫苗」事件，估計有200萬支問題疫苗流出，事件中超過200人被捕，多名衛生及地方官員遭處分。事後國務院修例，逐步建立疫苗安全標準和生產監管體系，同時加強罰則，若事態嚴重，地方政府及監管部門主要負責人須引咎辭職，可是仍然無法杜絕劣質疫苗問題，反映問題不僅在於完善法規加強懲處，更要正本清源，處理背後的深層結構問題。

過去兩年，國家藥監局加強對內地藥企突擊檢查，多家藥企遭懲處，然而全國藥廠眾多，突擊抽查有其局限，以今次瘋狗症疫苗造假為例，若非藥監局收到舉報，也未必能揭發。至於地方政府對於當地大藥企的監管，顯然也有頗多問題。早在去年底，原國家食品藥品監管局已公布，抽驗顯示長生一批「百白破」三合一疫苗不合格，局方向有關省市發出通知，要求徹查事件，然而吉林當局拖了9個月，才於瘋狗症疫苗造假醜聞曝光後公布處罰決定，惹來不少質疑。

長生擁有逾千員工，公司興衰不僅關乎大批工人生計，也影響地方政府稅收。過去10多年，長生至少牽涉12宗賄賂案，諸如向負責採購疫苗人員提供回扣，以不正當手法向地方醫院和防疫部門推銷產品。長生有不少污點，然而去年爆出「三合一」疫苗不合格後，生意仍能風生水起，一方面令人懷疑地方當局調查打擊不力，另一方面亦反映內地疫苗市場需求巨大，寧濫勿缺的氛圍，令到有污點的企業仍能在市場馳騁縱橫。

「搶打針」應可避免 港府勿掉以輕心

近年內地政府致力反腐，強調自我監察自我完善，然而缺乏輿論有力監督，難免影響反腐成效；假疫苗風波愈演愈烈後，當局嚴控網上敏感信息「維穩」，也可能帶來反效果，加深民眾猜疑。當局強調出事瘋狗症疫苗並未流出市面，不合格三合一疫苗下落亦已查明，然而疫苗龍頭巨企造假，肯定打擊內地民眾信心，絕非一時三刻能夠恢復。即使現在當局亡羊補牢，重罰涉事者和整頓業界，恐怕也不足以挽回民眾對國產疫苗的信任，情况一如當年三聚氰胺毒奶，事隔多年，陰影仍難徹底掃除，不少內地家長仍然寧可購買洋奶粉。

近年內地每有劣質疫苗風波，都有家長表示寧可帶子女來港接種疫苗，有本地兒科醫生承認，近年多了內地人到香港打針，惟增長不算急速。由於有「搶奶粉」前科，本港家長心有疑慮，亦可以理解。本港醫學界指出，像「百白破」這類必打的疫苗，政府母嬰健康院有足夠存貨。由於前年起母嬰健康院已採取措施，優先服務本地兒童，「搶打針」情况應可避免，不過政府也不能掉以輕心，皆因有意帶子女來港打針的內地家長，通常都會選擇光顧私院，他們接種的疫苗，也未必限於必打的疫苗。特區政府需要密切留意私院情况，做好應變準備，確保私人市場各類疫苗供應穩定。

The fake vaccine scandal

A substandard vaccine scandal has erupted in mainland China, as Changsheng Biotechnology, the pioneer in the field of vaccinations, has been found to be manufacturing substandard vaccines and fabricating production records. Premier Li Keqiang has lambasted the incident for plumbing the depths of immorality, adding that the company should give a clear explanation to all people living in China.

Headquartered in Changchun, Jilin, Changsheng has an annual turnover of over 1.5 billion yuan. Most of its profit comes from vaccines manufactured by Changchun Changsheng, its subsidiary. According to wholesale figures, vaccines against rabies and chicken pox manufactured by the company came second in mainland sales. No one would have thought that such glittering figures would belie its corrupt nature. The State Food and Drug Administration said that fraudulent practices, including the fabrication of production and inspection records and arbitrary changes of process parameters and equipment, were employed during the manufacturing of the vaccines. Shortly after that, the Jilin Provincial Food and Drug Administration announced that a type of vaccine against whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus produced by Changsheng was not up to standard, with 250,000 doses involved. The company was fined 3.4 million yuan.

Substandard vaccines affect human lives. Those nefarious merchants who produced them must not be pardoned. Changshang is one of the leaders in the mainland's vaccination industry. This scandal of fake and substandard vaccines could be just the tip of the iceberg. Some mainland media have drawn comparisons between this incident and the Sanlu poisonous powdered formula scandal ten years ago. Even the official Xinhua News agency and the People's Daily have published opinion pieces railing against the depravity of the scandal. This shows that even the government understands the anger of the people and that it must severely punish the wrongdoers and call the officials who have neglected their responsibilities to account.

China is the biggest producer of vaccines, producing more than one billion doses every year. Vaccines made in China account for over 95% of the doses received by Chinese vaccine-takers annually. In recent years, the mainland government has launched an anti-corruption campaign and has emphasised the ideas of self-monitoring and self-improvement. However, the absence of adequate supervision by the press has inevitably affected the effectiveness of the anti-corruption campaign. If the vaccine scandal further unfolds, the government's attempt to "maintain stability" by heavily censoring sensitive messages on the internet could backfire and deepen people's scepticism.

In recent years, whenever a substandard vaccine scandal happened on the mainland, some parents would say they would rather take their children to Hong Kong to receive vaccinations. Some Hong Kong paediatricians admit that more mainlanders have come to Hong Kong to receive vaccinations, but the rise has not been steep. Given the previous scramble for powdered formula, some Hong Kong parents are understandably worried. The medical sector in Hong Kong says that necessary vaccines such as those against whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus are in good supply in maternal and child health centres run by the government. As these centres adopted measures that gave priority to local children the year before last, the scramble for vaccinations should be preventable. But the government must not treat the situation lightly, as mainland parents who intend to take their children to Hong Kong for vaccinations mostly choose private hospitals, and the vaccines these children receive might not be limited to the necessary ones. The government has to monitor the situation in private hospitals closely and make contingency plans to ensure a stable supply of all kinds of vaccine in the private market.

內地疫苗造假須嚴懲 來港打針趨勢需留意

內地爆發劣質疫苗風波，疫苗龍頭企業長生生物科技公司（下稱長生生物）的疫苗，先後被揭不合格和造假，總理李克強狠批事件跌穿道德底線，必須要給全國人民一個明明白白交代。

長生生物總部設於吉林長春，一年營業額超過15億元，利潤絕大部分來自子公司長春長生的疫苗。根據批發銷售數字，該公司的瘋狗症疫苗和水痘疫苗位列內地第2位，未料金玉其外，敗絮其中。國家藥品監督管理局指出，長生的瘋狗症疫苗生產過程存在造假問題，包括編造生產和產品檢驗紀錄，並隨意變更工藝參數和設備。不久後，吉林省藥監局又公布，長生一款百日咳、白喉、破傷風三合一疫苗不合格，涉及25萬支，罰款340萬元人民幣。

劣質疫苗關乎人命，黑心商人絕對不能姑息。長生是內地疫苗龍頭企業之一，今次疫苗造假和不合格醜聞，可能只是冰山一角，內地有媒體將事件與10年前三鹿毒奶粉相提並論，連官方新華社和《人民日報》都發表評論，怒斥「傷天害理」，反映官方亦明白民情憤慨，必須嚴懲不法分子並向失職官員問責，始能平息民眾怒火。

中國是全球最大疫苗生產國，年產超過10億劑次，國產疫苗約佔全國實際接種量95%以上。近年內地政府致力反腐，強調自我監察自我完善，然而缺乏輿論有力監督，難免影響反腐成效；假疫苗風波愈演愈烈後，當局嚴控網上敏感信息「維穩」，也可能帶來反效果，加深民眾猜疑。

近年內地每有劣質疫苗風波，都有家長表示寧可帶子女來港接種疫苗，有本地兒科醫生承認，近年多了內地人到香港打針，惟增長不算急速。由於有「搶奶粉」前科，本港家長心有疑慮，亦可以理解。本港醫學界指出，像「百白破」這類必打的疫苗，政府母嬰健康院有足夠存貨。由於前年起母嬰健康院已採取措施，優先服務本地兒童，「搶打針」情况應可避免，不過政府也不能掉以輕心，皆因有意帶子女來港打針的內地家長，通常都會選擇光顧私院，他們接種的疫苗，也未必限於必打的疫苗。特區政府需要密切留意私院情况，做好應變準備，確保私人市場各類疫苗供應穩定。