HONG KONG (Reuters) – The Hong Kong government said an initial study by BioNTech and Fosun Industrial of the coronavirus vaccine did not reveal “obvious systemic factors” at the time of packaging after canceling the vaccine in the city and neighboring Macau this week.
Authorities on Wednesday stopped the use of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by BioNTech citing deficient packaging, triggering upheaval in security centers across the city.
The ban was lifted because an Asian financial hub has opposed slow vaccination uptake due to declining confidence in Sinovac vaccination in China and fears of adverse reactions.
In a statement released late Saturday, the city government said the results of the study did not rule that the situation was “not caused by environmental conditions during the lengthy transportation process.”
It was not related to the cold and supply chain management of the vaccine and randomized trials of whole filters delivered to Hong Kong found no case of leakage, he said.
Both Fosun and BioNTech believed the vaccines posed no safety risks and people who received them do not have to “worry”, the government said.
The rest of the study will focus on “ascertaining the integrity of the sexual properties of the relevant catches of the vaccine, and that the batches are safe for use.”
The government said it was following up with Fosun and BioNTech to complete the study within a week to allow a resumption of distribution of the vaccines to the public.
The city began vaccinating residents with doses from Sinovac in February and began offering the one developed by BioNTech in March.
The BioNTech vaccine is distributed in Hong Kong and Macau through a partnership with Fosun Pharma in China, while BioNTech is partnering with Pfizer in larger markets outside China.
(Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Daniel Wallis)