China considers paying for high quality vaccines

A new policy released by China’s State Council, which holds the highest power in the country, aims to largely reduce vaccine injuries in the nation, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent Wang Fangqing.

Under the policy, which is named in Chinese as “opinion of improving vaccine logistics and the vaccination management,” financial support will be in place to encourage the development and commercialization of new vaccines, especially polyvalent, multivalent vaccines. Routine and emergency vaccines, as well as the vaccines covered by the national immunization program, must be manufactured in China.

China’s immunization program covers 14 vaccines, including the recently added Sabin-inactivated polio vaccine developed by Chinese companies. These vaccines, called category I vaccines, are made by Chinese companies and paid for by the government. The category II vaccines, many of which are produced by multinationals such as Sanofi which offers Salk-IPVs, are at the expense of receivers.