Hong Kong halts BioNTech shots due to defective vials, but officials dismiss fears over ‘hiccup’ in vaccination drive
- Government cancels appointments for German-made jab after dozens of issues found with packaging, prompting investigation
- Minister reveals 1,080 doses had already been administered at 19 centres in the morning before suspension notice was issued
Key points:
– More than 50 defects in BioNTech vaccine packaging reported by frontline staff, including cracks, leaks and stains on outside of glass vials; all problematic vaccines disposed of
– Defects reported to distribution agent Fosun, which told local government to suspend jabs on Wednesday morning as precautionary measure
– About 150,000 doses of batch 210102 administered as of Wednesday; doses from another batch, 210104, not yet used
– Health officials stress no safety risks arising from packaging defects; experts urge vaccinated public not to be overly worried
– No timeline on when Fosun and BioNTech will finish investigation into defects
Health officials abruptly suspended Hong Kong’s BioNTech vaccination roll-out on Wednesday, dismissing safety concerns but saying they were taking no chances after frontline staff reported more than 50 instances of defective packaging to the German manufacturer.