Hong Kong suspended the use of Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday after being informed some vials from a recent batch had “defective caps” — although authorities said none of the problematic containers were used on residents. 

The stoppage, which was also announced by neighbouring Macau, is the latest blow in efforts to role out mass vaccination programmes against a deadly virus that has killed more than 2.7 million people around the world and hammered the global economy.