Hong Kong temporarily halts use of Pfizer vaccine, citing defective packaging in single batch

HONG KONG — Hong Kong has suspended vaccinations using Pfizer shots after the Chinese distributor informed the city that one batch had defective bottle lids.

The government says the suspension is immediate while the matter is investigated by Fosun Pharma and BioNTech, the German company that created the vaccine with American pharmaceutical firm Pfizer.

Government officials say they haven't found any evidence the shots were unsafe but suspended their use as a precaution.

The semi-autonomous territory of Macao also says its residents will not receive the Pfizer vaccinations from the same batch.

More than 150,000 people in Hong Kong have received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

The suspension leaves only China's Sinovac vaccine for use in Hong Kong.