Hong Kong, Macau temporarily suspend BioNTech covid vaccines on packaging defect

Another blow to the covid vaccine campaigns worldwide, Hong Kong and Macau temporarily suspended vaccines manufactured by BioNTech SE due to a packaging defect, per Bloomberg.

On Wednesday, both governments, however, clarified that there is no reason to believe product safety is at risk.

BioNTech and Fosun Pharma have initiated an investigation on the vial packaging defects from Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co.

This comes as Europe struggles with delays in vaccine supplies amid concerns over the side effects of the AstraZeneca jabs.

Although the University of Oxford published a release Monday, citing “Phase 3 study of Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine conducted by AstraZeneca Plc in the USA, Chile and Peru has shown that vaccine is safe and highly effective.”

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) contradicted in its statement on Tuesday, noting that the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker may have included 'outdated information' in the US clinical trial findings.

Market implications

The market mood remains sour amid a resurgence of coronavirus globally and rising vaccine rollout concerns.

The S&P 500 futures erase losses but trade cautiously near 3,900 while the US dollar index sits at two-week highs of 92.43. All eyes remain on the US data flow and Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s testimony.