The Hong Kong government announced on March 24 (Wednesday) the immediate suspension of all vaccinations of the Fosun vaccine produced by China’s Fosun Pharmaceutical and Germany‘s BioNTech, due to a defect in the packaging of one batch of the vaccine’s cap.
The Hong Kong government said it has held an emergency meeting with the manufacturer, Fosun Pharmaceuticals, which will review the local plant and the logistics chain of the vaccine to Hong Kong, and will not resume vaccination until the problem is fully resolved.
The Hong Kong Department of health Director Chan Hon Yee said at a press conference that 150,000 doses of Fubatai have been administered to the public so far, all of which are now to be discontinued in the first batch. The frontline staff had reported cracks on the packaging and loose bottle caps, and had asked the agent to follow up with the manufacturer. She stressed that once the front-line vaccination staff found that the cap of the vaccine bottle was loose or the liquid was leaking, the injections would be discarded and not used.
It is reported that a total of two batches of Fubertide have arrived in Hong Kong so far, the first batch numbered 210102, with 585,000 doses of vaccine arriving in Hong Kong on February 28, and the second batch numbered 210104, with 788,000 doses arriving in Hong Kong on March 7. The manufacturer received a report from the Hong Kong government and informed the Hong Kong government in writing this morning that it temporarily did not see any safety problems, but would conduct a full investigation and asked the Hong Kong government to suspend the use of batch 210102. Chan Hon Yee said the second batch of 210104 vaccine is still temporarily stored in the warehouse and not used, and was also requested by the manufacturer to be sealed and temporarily not used.
Chen Han Yi pointed out that the first dose of the public has been vaccinated a few days ago, the fastest this Saturday can be injected with the second dose, the government will ask the manufacturer to reply to the existing batches in Hong Kong can be used, otherwise it will require the provision of new goods. She said, with reference to clinical data, the second dose of Fubatai can be injected within 19 to 42 days.
Secretary for the Civil Service Nip Tak-kuen, who coordinates the vaccination program, said the vaccination center had used about 1,080 doses of chlorhexidine as of 1 p.m. In addition, there are currently about 11,000 doses of Fubatai vaccine that have been unfrozen, and it is believed that there is a significant possibility that these injections will no longer be available.
According to BioNTech, the vaccine needs to be stored at an ultra-low temperature of -70 degrees Celsius and can be stored for 6 months from production, but once thawed, it can only be stored in a refrigerator at 28 degrees Celsius for 5 days.
Since the Hong Kong government began its vaccination program, a total of seven people have died after being vaccinated, including one person who died after receiving the Fubatai vaccine and six others who died after receiving the Coxin vaccine.
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