Hong Kong suspended use of the Pfizer vaccine Wednesday after its Chinese language distributor knowledgeable the town that one batch had faulty bottle lids.
Town’s authorities stated the suspension was instant whereas the matter is investigated by distributor Fosun Pharma and BioNTech, the German firm which created the vaccine with American pharmaceutical agency Pfizer.
BioNTech and Fosun Pharma haven’t discovered any cause to consider the product is unsafe, in keeping with the assertion. Nonetheless, vaccinations can be halted as a preventive and security measure.
The faulty lids had been discovered on vaccines from batch quantity 210102. A separate batch of vaccines, 210104, can even be not be administered.
Macao additionally stated Wednesday that residents wouldn’t obtain the Pfizer vaccinations from the affected batch.
BioNTech and Fosun Pharma couldn’t be instantly reached for remark.
All group centres in Hong Kong administering the Pfizer vaccine have briefly suspended vaccinations and residents who already made appointments for Wednesday needn’t proceed to the centres, the federal government stated.
Solely 2 vaccines accessible in Hong Kong
The suspension of the Pfizer jab means the one vaccine at present supplied to residents is China’s Sinovac vaccine. The 2 vaccines are the one ones that had been supplied to residents in Hong Kong.
German expatriate Jannis Partsafas was amongst a bunch of people that acquired the Pfizer shot forward of the suspension.
“I obtained vaccinated this morning at 8.30 a.m. earlier than the information went public in regards to the vaccine suspension, and heard the information after I was on my method dwelling,” stated 32-year-old Partsafas, who works within the sporting items trade.
“I am not very involved in regards to the security, however I’m apprehensive that this may occasionally imply extra individuals will flip down the choice of getting vaccinated in Hong Kong which might affect herd immunity and the lifting of social-distancing measures,” he stated.
Some residents who had appointments Wednesday morning stood in line exterior a group centre administering the Pfizer vaccinations within the metropolis’s Sai Ying Pun neighborhood at about 10.30 a.m. They finally left the centre when it grew to become obvious that no vaccines can be administered.
As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, 403,000 individuals have acquired vaccines within the metropolis, of which 150,200 had acquired the primary dose of the Pfizer vaccine, in contrast with 252,800 who had taken the Sinovac jab.
