2 more babies die after receiving hepatitis B vaccination in China

Two more newborns died following hepatitis B vaccinations in China, health officials said Tuesday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 12. Local health authorities in east China's Shandong province have suspended use of the vaccine, produced by Shenzen Kangtai Biological, Xinhua reported. Shenzen Kangtai Biological is a privately run drug company with a 60 percent market share in China for hepatitis B vaccines. The latest two fatalities occurred in Tancheng and Juancheng counties, the provincial center for disease control and prevention said. The vaccination, which is a series of three shots, has been a successful step in the country's fight against viral hepatitis. The World Health Organization has encouraged the use of the vaccination, Xinhua reported.