Xi urges thorough probe in vaccine scandal

President Xi Jinping has demanded a thorough investigation into the country's latest vaccine scandal and severe punishment for those accountable. He also called for improving the country's vaccine management system to protect people's safety.

The illegal production of vaccines by Changchun Changsheng Bio-tech Co is vile in nature and shocking, the president said in an instruction on Monday, adding that authorities must immediately investigate and release information in a timely way to answer the concerns of the public.

Vaccine safety is in the spotlight again, following the announcement by the State Drug Administration last week that Changchun Changsheng Bio-tech Co, a major vaccine producer based in Jilin province, fudged production records for rabies vaccines for human use. The SDA ordered the company to halt production.