Anyone charging a fee for H1N1 vaccinations will be punished, the National Development and Reform Commission said yesterday.

This comes two days after Health Minister Chen Zhu warned medical institutions across China carrying out the vaccination not to add any charge under any excuse to the inoculation, which is free and voluntary, the commission said in a notice.

The country initiated the inoculation program in late September and so far at least 5 million people have been vaccinated.