Covaxin wastage up in Indore due to slow vax rate, large vial size

Indore: 17.12.2021

Loss in momentum and increase in vial size of Covaxin supplied to district has led to increase in wastage of vaccine in the last four months.

The comparison in district immunisation records suggest that wastage rate in terms of Covaxin witnessed an upwards trend between August 17 and December 15 to take the overall rate to 0.4%.

The vaccine wastage rate in terms of covaxin on August 17 was -0.24%, showed record.

District immunisation in-charge Dr Tarun Gupta said, “Whenever the footfall at vaccination site dips, the wastage tends to increase because of increase in chances of not using full vials. So, it happened in Indore also.”

The vaccine drive has somewhat lost overall momentum slowly and gradually with some exceptions in the post June period in the district. The daily inoculations on a daily basis remained very low especially after August except during mega drives, said Dr Gupta.

“This low turnout along with large vial size of covaxin supplied to district in the last one month led to surge in vaccine wastage”, said Dr Gupta. The records further suggested that because of this surge around 3670 doses of covaxin have been wasted in the district since the beginning of the drive. The drive began on January 16 this year. The drive remained a roller coaster ride in terms of wastage. The vaccine wastage was on a very high side up to 18% in some period at the beginning before it began going downwards from May. TNN