BioNTech partner Fosun lets China residents register for Covid-19 mRNA shot in Hong Kong

BEIJING – BioNTech’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 January

that may spark a wave of visitors to the financial hub.

Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group is letting people register for the shot through its app and online, with the company asking users for their personal details and whether they have recently recovered from Covid-19.

Fosun, which distributes the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, did not respond to Bloomberg News’ e-mailed request for more details of the programme.

While the mRNA shot has formed the backbone of Covid-19 vaccination campaigns across the world, it remains in regulatory limbo in mainland China, which has not 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 that 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 US$170 (S$230) each for a dose. 

Expectations are building that Hong Kong may see a wave of visitors from China from Jan 8, when the

mainland removes all quarantine for inbound travellers,

restarts issuing Hong Kong travel permits and resumes express checkpoints on its borders with the financial hub.

Still, it is 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. 

The Hong Kong government said last week that residents will be given priority for receiving the bivalent vaccine for free, while non-residents remain eligible for the ancestral-strain vaccine and the non-mRNA CoronaVac shot at no cost.

Some non-residents who meet certain requirements may also be able to get the bivalent vaccine for free. Non-residents may also pay to get vaccinated at private doctors, clinics and hospitals. 

Fosun Pharm shipped 11,500 doses of the mRNA vaccine this month to be administered exclusively for German expatriates in China, under a deal brokered during German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to China in early November. It is unclear when, or if, the shot will be approved for wider use in China. Bloomberg