Hong Kong and Macau officials on Wednesday announced the suspension of the use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines after one batch had defective bottle lids.
Authorities revealed that investigation was underway after vials with lot number 210102 were found to have defective packaging, according to Al Jazeera.
“For the sake of precaution, the current vaccination must be suspended during the period of investigation,” Hong Kong’s government said in a statement, noting there had been “deviations in the vial seal”.
The vaccines from the batch comprise a total of 585,000 doses, with the other batch number 210104 holding 758,000 doses, according to Hong Kong’s Director of Health Constance Chan.
Chan said that there were over 40 instances when medical personnel found defective packaging, such as cracks on the vaccine bottles or leakages when the vaccine was diluted with saline before being administered.
According to ABC News, officials said that none of these vaccines was given to residents and they were thrown away.
Although about 150,000 doses from the batch 210102 have been administered in the city so far, officials said, during a press briefing Wednesday, that the vaccines were safe to use despite the packaging defects, and that suspending the vaccination was a precautionary measure. Batch number 210104 remains in the warehouse and has not been used.
The Pfizer-BioNTech shot is one of two vaccines that are part of Hong Kong’s mass vaccination programme and needs to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures of -70 degrees Celsius. It is also using Sinovac, a vaccine developed in China.
