Temporary suspension comes after a defect has been reported, as authorities say there is no problem with the safety of the vaccine.
Hong Kong and Macau have suspended the use of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines due to a defect in the packaging of one batch of doses, officials said Wednesday.
Vials with lot number 210102 were found to have defective packaging, authorities said, and an investigation was ongoing.
“As a precaution, the current vaccination should be suspended during the study period,” the Hong Kong government said in a statement, noting that there were “vial seal abnormalities.”
Vaccinations with a second batch – 210104 – were also suspended, it added. It did not address whether that party was affected in the same way.
Both Chinese territories said they made the decision to suspend use of the vaccine after being contacted by Fosun Industrial, the Chinese pharmaceutical company that distributes the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in China.
Officials said Fosun and BioNTech did not believe there were any security risks. Hong Kong’s Ministry of Health is said to have an emergency meeting with the two companies on the matter on Wednesday.
Several vaccination centers in Hong Kong were told to stop using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to reports seen by residents Wednesday morning.
Some people took to social media to say their appointments were canceled that day and some vaccination centers were closed.
The Pfizer-BioNTech Injection is one of two vaccines that are part of Hong Kong’s mass vaccination program and must be stored at ultra-cold temperatures of -70 degrees Celsius. It also uses Sinovac, a vaccine developed in China.