Hong Kong on Wednesday suspended use of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine after packaging defects ranging from cracked containers to loose caps were discovered in a batch of cans. This was a major blow to a city that was already struggling to vaccinate its seven million residents against Covid-19.
Health officials called the stop a precaution, saying that none of the broken vials had been administered to patients and that they had not identified any health risks. However, if the suspension continues, Chinese territory may not have had enough shots to protect its population as the coronavirus continues to spread. Hong Kong officials counted 7.5 million doses of the vaccine, which was developed by Pfizer in the US and BioNTech in Germany to meet their needs.
The discovery has also sparked a hunt for the source of the flaws, as well as questions whether there might be more out there. The cans were made in BioNTech’s factories in Germany, while a Chinese company called Fosun Pharma was responsible for the transport, storage and distribution of the recordings in Hong Kong.
“I’m confused about why this is being reported for the first time in Hong Kong and we haven’t heard about it anywhere else,” said Benjamin Cowling, head of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Hong Kong.
“Was there anything special about that particular batch? Presumably they were made in the same way as the other batches in Germany. “
In a statement on Wednesday, BioNTech said the batch in question had only been sent to Hong Kong and Macau, another nearby Chinese area. The company said it is investigating the root cause of the problem.
“At this point in time, we have no reason to believe that there is a safety risk to the population,” said BioNTech.
Fosun Pharma said BioNTech had identified problems with the lids within a batch of vaccines shipped to Hong Kong and Macau, where authorities have also suspended vaccine administration. Fosun Pharma shares fell 4.8 percent in Hong Kong trading on Wednesday.
Hong Kong’s vaccination campaign has already been plagued by public doubts. Vaccine bookings were down after reports were made that several people died after receiving the other vaccine Hong Kong uses, made by Sinovac, a Beijing-based company. Residents tried hard to book appointments for the BioNTech vaccine, which, according to official figures, had booked about twice as many as Sinovac in the past six days.
The Hong Kong government has not found a direct link between the shooting and the deaths. However, some people do not trust the government after mainland China officials tightened their control over the former British colony following anti-government protests in 2019.
In January, a poll of 2,733 residents found that only 39 percent of Hong Kong residents were willing to take a Covid-19 vaccine.
“There are some key risks here that further undermine confidence in the vaccines available,” said Karen Grépin, associate professor at the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health, who received the BioNTech shot on March 12.
Professor Grépin said many Hong Kong residents waited to see what the early stages of the rollout would be before deciding on a vaccine.
The suspension created uncertainty in the city’s clinics and doctor’s offices as vaccinations stalled.
Lindsay Eng, 36, was vaccinated at 9:11 a.m. on Wednesday. When she was sitting in the waiting area afterwards, she noticed that no more people were coming in. When she left the center, the staff put up a sign saying that the vaccination service had stopped. A lot of people who came to have their vaccinations were asked questions.
Ms. Eng said she was not particularly concerned for her own health but was more concerned that the incident would result in fewer people being vaccinated in Hong Kong.
“Just talking to the locals here is pretty clear that there are a lot of people who say, ‘Let’s wait and see,'” said Ms. Eng, who is from Toronto but has elderly family members in Hong Kong who hesitate Received vaccine.
Hong Kong officials had reached out to Fosun for answers after receiving reports from frontline workers and pharmacists about defective vials and packaging, Hong Kong health director Constance Chan said in a news conference on Wednesday. The defects were found before the doses were administered, she said, adding that workers carefully inspected containers and vials.
In total, the government received eight reports of cracked containers, 22 reports of leaks, 16 reports of loose closures, and 11 reports of stains or marks on the outside of bottles, said Dr. Chan.
The defective cans were part of a batch of 585,000 cans with the order number 210102, the Hong Kong government said on Wednesday, citing data from a subsidiary of Fosun in Hong Kong. So far, 150,200 people had received shots from this batch, according to the government.
Authorities said they would hold another batch of 758,000 doses of the BioNTech vaccine with catalog number 210104.
“This is a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the vaccine continuously,” the Hong Kong government said in a statement.
According to Dr. Chan would work with Fosun to work with BioNTech to conduct factory site inspections in Germany.
Compared to the USA and Great Britain, Hong Kong has started its vaccination campaign only slowly. Just over 5 percent of Hong Kong’s 7.5 million residents have been vaccinated. The city has reported more than 11,000 cases and 204 deaths since the pandemic began, but it has just beaten back a new outbreak that resulted in hundreds of people being rounded up for quarantine.
It is unclear when concerns about the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine will be addressed or how quickly Hong Kong can make up the deficit. The city has also ordered 7.5 million doses of vaccine from Anglo-Swedish company AstraZeneca, which are expected to arrive in the second quarter. The company has not yet filed for approval of its vaccine in Hong Kong.
As quickly as the problem was resolved, confusion was created.
Ruby Callaghan Brown, 32, and her husband arrived at a vaccination center on the east side of Hong Kong Island at 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday. 15 minutes before opening. A staff member shooed her away, saying that all vaccinations had been stopped and that an announcement would come.
Then they read online that the center had reopened and returned. they were about to submit their records when they were told again that the vaccinations had been suspended.
They waited 45 minutes before leaving. “I thought I was just going to sit here until you change your mind,” she said.
Elsie Chen contributed to the research.
