Taiwan Says BioNTech Vaccine Deal on Hold, Cites Potential Beijing Pressure

Taiwan Says BioNTech Vaccine Deal on Hold, Cites Potential Beijing Pressure
Syringes in front of a displayed BioNtech logo in this illustration taken Nov. 10, 2020. Dado Ruvic/Reuters
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TAIPEI—A deal for Taiwan to buy 5 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Germany’s BioNTech SE is on hold, the island’s health minister said on Wednesday, citing potential pressure from Beijing for the delay.

Taiwan Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said officials were on the verge of announcing the deal in December when BioNTech pulled the plug.