WeDoctor and Fosun Health Launch First Batch of Booking for Hong Kong-Based Bivalent Comirnaty Vaccination

Aligning with the national goal of “protecting health and preventing severe cases” in the new phase of pandemic control, WeDoctor partnered with Fosun Health on January 6, 2023, to launch the first batch of appointments for Hong Kong-based administration of the Comirnaty bivalent vaccine, jointly safeguarding public health. Starting immediately, users can schedule personal appointments for receiving the Comirnaty bivalent vaccine in Hong Kong through channels such as the WeDoctor WeChat mini-program and the homepage of the WeDoctor App. With the orderly resumption of normal travel between mainland China and Hong Kong beginning January 8, getting vaccinated with the Comirnaty vaccine in Hong Kong has become a new option for public epidemic prevention.

On March 16, 2020, Fosun Pharma and Germany-based BioNTech announced a strategic collaboration for the development of mRNA vaccines. Under this agreement, Fosun Pharma was granted exclusive rights by BioNTech to develop and commercialize COVID-19 vaccines based on its proprietary mRNA technology platform in mainland China, as well as in the Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan regions.

In December 2022, the bivalent Comirnaty vaccine was officially registered as a pharmaceutical product/biological product by the Hong Kong Department of Health for booster vaccination in individuals aged 12 years and above. The bivalent Comirnaty vaccine is an iteration and supplement to the already marketed Comirnaty BNT162b2, effectively addressing the Omicron variant. Each dose of the bivalent Comirnaty vaccine contains 15 micrograms of mRNA encoding the spike protein of the original strain and 15 micrograms of mRNA encoding the spike protein of the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 variant strains.

According to the Phase 2/3 clinical trial of the bivalent Comirnaty vaccine previously announced by BioNTech, administering the bivalent Comirnaty vaccine as a booster dose helps enhance protection for the elderly population. Data one month after booster vaccination showed favorable results from the clinical trial: neutralizing antibody levels increased 9.5-fold in adults aged 18–55 years and 13.2-fold in individuals aged over 55 years. This indicates that the bivalent Comirnaty booster may provide higher protection against the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 variants compared with the original-strain vaccine.

Furthermore, against the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 sublineage variants (including BA.4.6, BA.2.75.2, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1) currently prevalent in Hong Kong, China, and many other Asian countries and regions, the Comirnaty bivalent vaccine elicits a stronger immune response than the original-strain vaccine, with comparable safety and tolerability profiles between the two vaccines. An analytical study on antibody responses to new Omicron sublineage variants following administration of the Comirnaty bivalent vaccine demonstrated that neutralizing antibody titers against BQ.1.1 and XBB.1 increased by 8.7-fold and 4.8-fold, respectively.

Since the launch of WeDoctor’s “National Home Healthcare Security Platform” in early December 2022, the platform has provided comprehensive services to numerous users, including online consultations, guaranteed supply of antiviral medications, psychological counseling, epidemic prevention supplies, and public health education. The newly launched appointment service for Hong Kong-bound BioNTech (Fosun-BioNTech) vaccinations, introduced in collaboration with Fosun Health, offers a new vaccination option for those in need. Moving forward, WeDoctor will roll out more convenient and accessible services for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, working together to safeguard public health.