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May 14, 2003

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"China Issues Strict Rules on Reporting of Disease"

New York Times (www.nytimes.com) (05/14/03) P. A6; Eckholm, Erik

In the wake of stinging criticism over its failure to report earlier cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the Chinese government has ordered new disease reporting guidelines that carry stiff penalties for local officials who fail to observe them.  The rules require the government to immediately disclose information about new infections, wide-scale poisonings, or other health emergencies to the public.  Failure to come forward with this information will result in immediate dismissal or possibly criminal charges.  Despite an apparent decline in new SARS cases in Beijing, World Health Organization officials said that it is still too early to leap to conclusions, with WHO consultant Keiji Fukuda noting that "even if [the outbreak] is tailing down, SARS is not going to disappear quickly."

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