INTERN DAILY
← EPIDEMICS  |  Home EPIDEMICS

Hong Kong and Macau suspend Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine over 'flawed' vials

by AFP Staff Writers Hong Kong (AFP) March 24, 2021 AFP
Hong Kong and Macau on Wednesday said they were suspending the use of Pfizer/BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine after being informed of a packaging problem with a batch of vials.

"For the sake of precaution, the current vaccination must be suspended during the period of investigation," Hong Kong's government said in a statement.

Both Chinese cities said their decision came after they were contacted about the issue by Fosun, the Chinese pharmaceutical company that is distributing the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in China.

Vials with the lot number 210102 were found to have defective packaging, authorities said.

The statements from Hong Kong and Macau did not give any details on how the packaging was defective but both said they did not believe there were any safety risks.

Authorities said they decided to act out of an abundance of caution until their investigation is concluded.

Some Hong Kongers took to social media to say their appointments that day had been cancelled and that some vaccination centres were closed.

One centre visited by an AFP reporter had been taped off.

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, is Copyright 1995-2026 Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principles for news reporting and research purposes.