The temporary suspension occurs after the defect is reported, as the 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 a batch of doses, officials said on Wednesday.
The flasks with lot number 210102 had defective packaging, officials said, and an investigation was underway.
“As a precaution, the current vaccination should be suspended during the investigation period,” the Hong Kong government said in a statement, noting that there were “deviations in the bottle seal”.
Vaccinations using a second batch – 210104 – have also been suspended, he added. It did not elaborate on whether that batch was affected in a similar way.
Both Chinese territories said they made the decision to stop using the vaccine after being contacted by Fosun Industrial, the Chinese pharmaceutical company that distributes the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in China.
Authorities said Fosun and BioNTech do not believe there are any security risks. The Hong Kong health department would have an emergency meeting with the two companies on the matter on Wednesday.
Several vaccination centers in Hong Kong have been instructed to stop using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to warnings seen by residents on Wednesday morning.
Some people turned to social media to say that that day’s appointments were canceled and that some vaccination centers were closed.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is one of two vaccines that are part of the Hong Kong mass vaccination program and needs to be stored at deep-frozen temperatures of -70 degrees Celsius. It is also using Sinovac, a vaccine developed in China.