Coronavirus: vaccine experts urge Hong Kong government to scrap order for 7.5 million AstraZeneca jabs over mounting safety concerns

Experts suggest the government cancel its orders for 7.5 million AstraZeneca shots and replace them with second-generation vaccines offering better protection against mutated strains

European Medicines Agency said an investigation concluded that ‘unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects’ of the vaccine

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Hong Kong might want to consider holding off on its order for AstraZeneca shots, says a government pandemic adviser. Photo: Reuters

Published: 1:07pm, 7 Apr 2021Updated: 12:58am, 8 Apr 2021

Top pandemic advisers to the government have called for Hong Kong’s AstraZeneca orders to be scrapped over mounting safety concerns in Europe, but health authorities say they are still waiting for information from the British and Swedish manufacturers of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Leading expert Professor David Hui Shu-cheong and Executive Council member Dr Lam Ching-choi suggested on Wednesday that the government dump its orders for 7.5 million AstraZeneca shots and replace them with second-generation vaccines offering better protection against mutated coronavirus strains.

But while several European countries have suspended their roll-outs of the vaccine for younger people following dozens of reports linking it to blood clots, the Hong Kong government had little to add after a statement on Tuesday night that the Food and Health Bureau was in contact with the manufacturer to request “relevant information on safety”.

On Wednesday, the government said confidentiality agreements prevented it from disclosing information on individual vaccines but it would “closely monitor” information released by drug regulatory authorities elsewhere. A bureau spokeswoman could not confirm or deny whether the government had paid a deposit to the drug giant, or if an exit clause existed in the agreement in the event of major side effects or defects, to allow Hong Kong to get a refund.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Wednesday evening (Hong Kong time) an investigation concluded that “unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects”.

“The reported combination of blood clots and low blood platelets is very rare, and the overall benefits of the vaccine in preventing Covid-19 outweigh the risks of side effects,” the EMA said.

Concerns over the vaccine came as Hong Kong authorities confirmed eight new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, six of which were imported. The two local cases were untraceable.