BioNTech Coronavirus Vaccines Arrive In HK

A shipment of almost 600,000 doses of the BioNTech coronavirus vaccine reached the SAR on Saturday after a two-day delay.

It's the second vaccine to arrive in the city, although it was the first to be approved by Hong Kong authorities.

In a statement, a government spokesman said officers had checked the 585,000 doses of BioNTech coronavirus vaccine at the airport.

Unlike other vaccines, the BioNTech jabs need to be stored at extremely low temperatures, and the government has arranged for the doses to be stored in freezers at minus 70 degrees Celsius.

The spokesman said online appointments would open next week for people to book BioNTech shots at seven vaccination centres across the city.

The government has not set a date for when people can book BionTech shots, but said it would release details at a later date.

The government has ordered a million doses of coronavirus vaccines from the German drug-maker, and the spokesman said the remaining doses will be delivered early next month.

Just over a week ago, a million Sinovac doses were flown in from Beijing - one day after it was approved for use in Hong Kong.

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