Blood Cancer Patient Gets Sinovac Instead Of Pfizer-BioNTech Jab In Mix-Up

A blood cancer patient in Hong Kong went to the wrong vaccination center and got the Sinovac vaccine from China instead of the BioNTech vaccine from Germany that he chose.

David Allardice, the patient, discovered the mistake after he received a text message from the government indicating that he had failed to show up for his vaccine appointment.

In reality, Allardice arrived at the incorrect location without undergoing proper checks and got the vaccine he had already decided not to take after consulting his doctor. "I was desperate to get vaccinated so I could get a little bit of my life back. If I got Covid-19, I would not survive ... I've lived with that panic for over a year now," he told South China Morning Post.

"Only once I've had a second dose would I then have a greater degree of confidence to go out anywhere other than to chemotherapy."

Allardice and his vaccination companion booked a 6:30 pm (local time) BioNTech appointment at Hiu Kwong Street Sports Centre in Kwun Tong on Mar. 18.

Unfortunately, they went to the Kowloon Bay Sports Centre – the only site that administers Sinovac vaccinations in the place. The place is about 3 kilometers away from their original vaccination site.

He remembered the two of them arriving at the center about 6 p.m. and being guided inside after displaying their identification cards. Allardice did not believe that anybody checked whether he had a reservation or not. He said it didn't seem to be noticeable.

He added there would have been no booking for them at Kowloon Bay if they had indeed checked the information. It appears that they did not consult with each person individually, Allardice said. "No one at any point said to me 'you're in the wrong place' or 'you're getting the wrong vaccination'. It came across as if the systems that should be in place weren't in place," he said.

Civil Service Bureau runs the city's Covid-19 vaccination drive. The agency admitted that reception staff at Kowloon Bay Sports Centre failed to checked Allardice and his companion. "Although the vaccine was only administered with the [vaccinated person's] consent to the health care staff at the information zone and the vaccination booth, we sincerely apologise for the mishap," the spokesman said.

On the other hand, Allardice said the staff did not tell him that he would be receiving the Sinovac vaccine. He was just issued a "CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine" certificate after obtaining the shot, which refers to the Sinovac product's brand name.

According to Allardice, this did not raise any red flags since their manufacturers generally knew the vaccines.

The bureau said it would remind receptionists to double-check bookings for the recipient's chosen vaccine, date, and location to prevent similar cases in the future. For easier identification, the staff had to include both the vaccine name and its manufacturer on top of the booking confirmations and appointment notifications.

When asked whether the bureau had received any other complaints of vaccines being administered incorrectly, the spokesman refused to elaborate.

Allardice acknowledged he was partially to blame for the mishap, but said the vaccination center's employees could be held accountable for anything that occurred while he was within. "I went to the wrong place, but there, at that point, the responsibility then falls exclusively on the vaccination centre," he said. Allardice has filed a formal complaint with the bureau.