Originally, I wanted to write something about the recent “hepatitis B vaccine incident”, because in this era of media “brick”, it is better to wait for the national authority to publish its opinion, mainly because I am afraid of causing ambiguity. Now that the dust has settled, it’s even better to write about it. First, a brief review: December 25, the media reported that a case of Zhejiang Yongjia inoculated with Dalian Hanxin production of hepatitis B vaccine infant death, a case of Sichuan Pixian inoculated with Beijing Tiantan production of hepatitis B vaccine infant death, Hunan appeared to be a case of inoculation with Shenzhen Kangtai company production of hepatitis B vaccine infant death. The health department has been involved in the investigation, and on December 13, 2013, the State Food and Drug Administration requested the suspension of the use of hepatitis B vaccine (brewer’s yeast) batch numbers C201207088 and C201207090 produced by Shenzhen Kangtai. Dalian Hanxin 1 case. Although the manufacturers concerned all responded that the vaccine products were fully qualified and that the infant deaths were not related to the vaccine itself. However, due to the unprofessional and irresponsible promotion of the media, the public has little faith in the manufacturers’ words. According to a survey conducted by Phoenix Parenting, more than 80 percent of netizens said they were “scared and don’t know if they want to vaccinate their children in the future.” Should we still vaccinate? In fact, at the beginning of the incident, I asserted with my colleagues that from the information reported, it was almost certain that the hepatitis B vaccine was not the culprit, and now it’s true. Some may say that I am an afterthought, just as years ago I said that the use of the hepatitis B vaccine late in pregnancy to prevent mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B was useless. My judgment is based on professional and relevant research evidence, not a simple gut feeling. According to national epidemiological surveys, the rate of hepatitis B surface antigen positivity among children in China was 9.67% in 1992, and after the widespread promotion of hepatitis B vaccination, the figure dropped to 0.96% in 2005. During these 13 years, the number of hepatitis B infections decreased by 24 million, and the number of patients with cirrhosis and liver cancer caused by hepatitis B decreased by 4.3 million. There is no doubt how much credit the hepatitis B vaccine has been given. Vaccination against hepatitis B remains the most effective way to prevent hepatitis B virus infection today. Some may ask if the hepatitis B vaccine is safe or not. It is said that the United States has the safest drugs, so let’s compare the adverse reactions to vaccines in China and the United States: statistics show that from 2000 to December 2013, 188 cases of suspected abnormal reactions occurred in China after death from hepatitis B vaccination (only 18 cases were finally determined to be related to adverse reactions to hepatitis B vaccine), while the data for the United States from 1991 to November 2013 was 769 cases. It should also be noted that the number of newborns in China is approximately 2 million per year, several times that of the United States. In addition, according to statistics, the mortality rate of newborns in China itself is 13.1 per 1,000, which in itself makes it inevitable that some “coincidental reactions” will occur. The so-called “coincidental reactions” have nothing to do with vaccination itself, but are coincidental in that the vaccinated person happens to be in the incubation period of a certain disease at the time of vaccination, and then happens to develop the disease after vaccination, which is a coincidence, even without vaccination. Does it mean that the hepatitis B vaccine is absolutely safe and has no adverse reactions or contraindications? No, it does not. Hepatitis B vaccine is inactivated HBsAg protein and contains trace amounts of immune adjuvants and preservatives such as aluminum hydroxide, urea and formaldehyde. Therefore, it is contraindicated in a very small number of people with a history of allergy, fever, or severe acute or chronic illness. Also, hepatitis B vaccine should not be given at the same time as measles vaccine, as it can interfere with and delay antibody formation. Through the above explanation, I think you should be clear: vaccination against hepatitis B is still the most effective way to prevent hepatitis B virus infection, and the genetically engineered hepatitis B vaccine commonly used in China is definitely not inferior to Western countries in terms of safety and effectiveness.