Children in Vietnamese commune received beans instead of vitamin A

A population coordinator in a rural Vietnamese commune distributed beans to children he claimed to be vitamin A, health officials said. Parents brought their young children to a Cam Trung commune clubhouse Sunday to receive the vitamin, Tuoi Tre News reported. Coordinator Vo Vang Hung then distributed a bean-shaped tablet to the children, prompting some parents to ask why it looked like a bean. "This is imported medicine, which is very hard, so parents can grind it into small pieces before giving it to their children," he said. Concerned parents called health authorities, who said Hung was handing out beans instead of vitamins, Tuoi Tre News said. Health authorities said Hung had made a mistake and ordered him to explain the incident. But some commune members said Hung's alleged error was unacceptable. "As a rural man, he must know what a bean looks like and wouldn't mistake it for a vitamin tablet," Vu Chuc said.