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Bloomberg
BioNTech SE’s Chinese partner has started allowing mainland Chinese to register for its mRNA Covid-19 vaccine in Hong Kong ahead of a border reopening early next month that may spark a wave of visitors to the financial hub.
Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co is letting people register for the shot through its app and online, with the company asking users for their personal details and whether they’ve recently recovered from Covid. Fosun, which distributes the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, didn’t respond to Bloomberg News’ emailed request for more details.
While the mRNA shot has formed the backbone of Covid vaccination campaigns across the world, it remains in regulatory limbo in mainland China, which hasn’t given it the green light and instead relies on homegrown vaccines for its 1.4 billion people.
China is grappling with the world’s biggest outbreak — the country’s health regulator estimated nearly 37 million people may have been infected in a single day last week — after the rapid dismantling of Covid Zero restrictions spurred a surge in virus cases.
The major flareup has sparked a push to vaccinate the vulnerable elderly, but could also boost interest in getting inoculated while travelling. Some mainland Chinese residents received an mRNA shot in Macau, the only place where they could travel to without having to quarantine upon their return. Visitors would need to pay out of pocket, with the Financial Times reporting one couple paid $170 each for a dose.
Still, it’s unclear how many may be eligible for a shot given the wave of cases on the mainland, with health authorities recommending people wait six months after their infection for their next shot.