No More BioNTech Jabs Until Probe Completed: Govt

Health officials said on Wednesday that BioNTech vaccinations will remain suspended while the drug manufacturer conducts an investigation into packaging defects among a batch of jabs used in Hong Kong – even though there is no suggestion that the shots themselves pose any safety risk.

The Director of Health, Constance Chan, said frontline workers had reported problems on 57 occasions, involving cracks in containers, leakage due to overpressure from vials, loose caps, as well as stains or marks on the outside of bottles.

So far, Hong Kong has administered 150,000 doses of the BioNTech vaccine. Chan said problematic shots had been dumped.

Speaking after an emergency meeting with BioNTech's partner company in the region, Fosun Pharma, Chan said Hong Kong had been asked to stop using the batch of vaccines while an investigation into the packaging defects is carried out.

“According to their risk management plan, they will conduct investigations in Hong Kong mainly focused on the logistic chain, the transport, the handling and the deliveries to these vaccination centres to see if there’s any issue,” she said.

“At the same time, they would also liaise with BioNTech to conduct inspections to the manufacturing plant in Germany to ascertain whether there’s any issue there.”

She said they had called for the investigations to be carried out as quickly as possible, but it’s not sure how long the process will take.

Some people are scheduled to get their second doses of BioNTech vaccines as soon as this Saturday, and Chan said the government hopes the vaccination programme can resume before then.

She said if that were not possible, then a government-appointed expert panel had said people could still get their second dose up to 42 days after they received their first jab.

“We do not recommend people receive a second dose of a different brand, so please wait for an announcement by the government,” Chan said.

Officials also said that about 1,000 people received the BioNTech vaccine on Wednesday morning before the government made a formal announcement about the suspension.

Many people were later turned away after arriving at vaccination centres across the city.