BioNTech Vaccinations Halted in Hong Kong and Macao

Those seeking access to BioNTech’s mRNA vaccine in Hong Kong and Macao will be turned away from clinics until further notice after the local authorities suspended use of the jab on Wednesday, citing defective vial seals.

The Hong Kong and Macao governments said in twin statements that they had received written notice from local distributor Fosun Industrial (Hong Kong) Co. Ltd. on Wednesday morning warning that BioNTech vials with the batch number 210102 had packaging issues.

Hong Kong officials said they found tilted or loose vial caps and minor stains on a small number of bottles. There were some instances where caps had been pushed out after saline was injected to dilute the vaccine, causing spillage, officials said at a briefing Wednesday.

Health authorities in both regions said they would be suspending jabs with that batch, which will expire in June, while BioNTech and Fosun investigate. They said there was no reason to believe there was a safety risk.

Hong Kong authorities said a separate batch, 210104, would also be put on hold as a “precautionary measure.”

Batches 210102 and 210104 are the only two that Hong Kong has procured, and Macao only has access to batch number 210102, meaning the use of the mRNA vaccine, will cease in both territories until further notice.

It was unclear how long the suspension would last, as some in Hong Kong await their three-week booster shot after the region began mass vaccinations on March 10.

BioNTech announced Wednesday that it has temporarily stopped vaccinations in Hong Kong and Macao pending its own investigation into the root causes of the packaging issues. “At this point, we have no reason to believe there is any safety risk posed to the population. However, as a precautionary measure, BioNTech has decided to pause further vaccination with the batch until the investigation is complete,” the company said in a statement. “No other batches shipped to other regions are affected by this investigation.”

About 150,000 people have received a BioNTech jab in the city, while about 250,000 have had the China-developed Sinovac Biotech Ltd. shot, which is also on offer there. But the foreign vaccine has been gaining ground — according to data disclosed by the Department of Health, about 11,000 citizens made an appointment online for BioNTech vaccines on March 23, while 5,600 made an appointment for a vaccination with Sinovac’s.

Trust in the Chinese vaccine has been rattled in Hong Kong by seven post-vaccination deaths which local experts said are unlikely to be connected to the shots. Both vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective in three phases of clinical trials.

Hong Kong authorities said the BioNTech shots with defective vials were disposed of and haven’t been used in the city’s vaccination drive so far.

“People who’ve gotten BioNTech vaccines can relax,” said Constance Chan, Hong Kong’s Director of Health.

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The vaccination rate in Hong Kong has lagged behind expectations. About 5.5 million people in the city can be vaccinated, but only 403,000 have received their first of two shots.

Hong Kong Civil Service Secretary Patrick Nip, who is overseeing the vaccination rollout, said on March 23 that Hong Kong had the capacity to vaccinate 50,000 citizens every day, but only about half that were actually getting the shot.

The first batch of BioNTech vaccines arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on Feb. 27, with 585,000 doses intended for use in Hong Kong, and another 100,000 doses to be sent to Macau.

In December, Caixin first reported that Fosun Pharmaceutical Group planned to import 7.2 million doses of the BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the first half of 2021.

As of press time, Fosun Pharma had not responded to questions.

Bloomberg contributed to this report.

Contact reporter Flynn Murphy (flynnmurphy@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com)

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