A 5-month-old baby named Pan Chen from Changzhou, Jiangsu, died four days after receiving the third dose of the DTP vaccine in 2021. Recently, the mother of the deceased child, Hu Dayan, was kidnapped from Beijing by local officials during her trip and is now under house arrest.
Hu Dayan was taken back to Changzhou by officials upon her arrival in Beijing on June 22, as the Chinese Communist Party’s Third Plenary Session approached (scheduled for July 15-18). She expressed her frustration to a reporter, stating, “I was just going to Beijing to relax, but I was brought back by force. Six people are guarding me outside, with 2 from the Changzhou petition bureau, 2 from the local street office, and another 2 from the community, not allowing me to go out.”
Due to inadequate vaccine compensation and unclear compensation terms, Hu Dayan has been trying to seek answers from relevant authorities but has received no responses. Consequently, she has become a labeled as an unstable element by the authorities.
On June 15, 2021, Hu Dayan’s 5-month-old son, Pan Chen, experienced abnormal reactions after receiving the third dose of the DTP vaccine at the Xiaoxinqiao Health Center in Xinbei District, Changzhou. He was subsequently treated at the Changzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Children’s Hospital, and Fudan University Affiliated Children’s Hospital in Shanghai, where he unfortunately passed away on June 19, 2021, despite rescue efforts.
On July 1, 2021, Hu Dayan went to the Xiaoxinqiao Health Center, where her son was vaccinated, to report the incident.
On July 26, 2021, the Changzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a coincidental diagnosis report. Hu Dayan continued to address the issue with the Changzhou Health Commission, but encountered excuses and denial that Pan Chen’s death was due to an abnormal reaction to the vaccine.
As a mother, Hu Dayan, full of anger and despair, set herself on fire in front of the Changzhou City Hall, hoping for a fair and just explanation and justice for her child.
On September 23, 2021, the Changzhou Medical Association issued a report confirming that Pan Chen’s death was caused by an abnormal reaction to the vaccine. However, no further actions were taken by any authorities.
Hu Dayan engaged in a second act of protest through attempted suicide by jumping into a river in front of the Changzhou City Hall, but was rescued once again.
Following her failed suicide attempt, Hu Dayan demanded compensation from the authorities, calculating an amount of 1.0989 million yuan based on the 43,390 average per capita income in Jiangsu in 2020, referencing the compensation standards for vaccine coincidences in 2014.
After returning from the hospital, Hu Dayan was detained by the Changzhou Xinshi Public Security Sub-bureau on October 29, 2021, under the charge of “provocation and disturbance,” and was held in the Changzhou Xilin Detention Center for 8 days. Upon release, she was put under bail pending trial for a year on the charge of “disturbing the normal functioning of state organs.”
On November 10, 2021, the Xinbei District Health Bureau, the New Qiao Street Office, and other units reached a compensation agreement with Hu Dayan, providing her with 810,000 yuan in financial aid and requiring her to withdraw complaints.
Hu Dayan mentioned, “At the time, government officials suggested that I accept less compensation and promised us projects to work on. However, it’s been four years, and the promised projects were not delivered.”
She expressed her frustration over the lack of standardized vaccine compensation, ranging from 1.97 million to 30,000, 40,000, or 60,000 yuan, depending on the severity of the situation. The compensation may include job offers or housing instead of monetary compensation.
“I only received 810,000 yuan and 100,000 yuan in insurance money, totaling 910,000 yuan. This is a human life! According to national regulations, both provincial and city governments have compensation standards, but they are vague about what falls under provincial or city jurisdictions,” she stated.
Hu Dayan added, “I didn’t go petitioning. I tried to seek answers from local leaders but got none. Is it illegal to inquire at the provincial level? Is it illegal for me to go out to relax when I’m feeling down? Do the Chinese people have no freedom left? Just for asking questions, they monitor me 24/7. Where is justice?”
Prior to the Third Plenary Session, families of vaccine victims have been rallying for their rights. On June 19, 17 representatives of the “COVID-19 Vaccine Victims Group” went to Beijing for a collective petition and were all detained. On June 20, leukemia victim Zhai Zhihui, attributed to the COVID-19 vaccine, was accused by local authorities of going beyond standard channels for petitioning and posting online videos for rights protection, leading to a 5-day administrative detention.
Recently, 77 members of the Chinese “COVID-19 Vaccine Victims Group” have applied to the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau Security Division in accordance with the “Assembly, Demonstration, and Parade Law” to march from the National Health Commission to the Ministry of Civil Affairs on July 2 this year. The application has not been approved yet, and many members have reportedly received warnings from relevant authorities.