Confusion over Covaxin shelf life: Some pvt hospitals won’t start drive tomorrow

Company Has Taken Back A Few Stocks For Relabelling

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Sunitha.Rao@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:

02.02.2022

With confusion over the shelf life of Covaxin vaccine continuing, some private hospitals in Bengaluru are unlikely to start the drive for children from January 3.

While the manufacturer, Bharat Biotech, had claimed the doses could be used up to one year from the time of production, the Union health ministry has clarified that the expiry date on the vaccine vials is final. Karnataka has nearly 6 lakh Covaxin doses in private hospitals.

In November, Bharat Biotech had said Covaxin vials have proven their stability beyond six months and could be used for up to 12 months from the time of manufacturing. The company had also issued a communication to private hospitals that new dates of the doses — which were earlier slated to expire between September 2021 and June 2022 — would now be between March 2022 and September 2022.

However, replying to Karnataka’s queries pertaining to the shelf-life extension of the drug for six more months, the Union health ministry on December 23 stated: “All vaccines should not be utilised beyond the expiry date as mentioned on the label of each vial. ” This has led to confusion among private hospitals.

Dr R Ravindra, former president of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), said the company picked up the vials for relabelling from a few hospitals in Bengaluru on December 31. “It is likely to take two more weeks for the company to relabel the vials and return them,” he said.

Dr Ravindra, who heads Suguna hospital, which also sent vials for relabelling, said they won’t be able to provide Covaxin doses for children from Monday. Sparsh Hospital has 12,000 doses of Covax- in. “The company is yet to take the stock from us to replace or relabel it. As we are waiting for that, we’ll not be able to administer the doses from January 3,” said Guruprasad BR, chief marketing officer, Sparsh Hospital. Doses available at Apollo Apollo Hospitals, which has more than 4 lakh of Covaxin doses, has returned the stocks and is expecting either relabelled or fresh 10,000 dosesones on Sunday. “We’ll conduct vaccination drive for children from Monday at three branches in Bengaluru and one in Mysuru. CoWin slots will be made open for online booking. For the first three days, we’ll have only 10,000 doses and we’re expecting further supply,” said Dr Yatheesh Govindaiah, unit head of Apollo Hospitals, Jayanagar.

At Manipal Hospitals, vaccination for children with special needs will begin from Monday. The hospital will use its unexpired doses.

According to Dr Arundhathi Chandrasekhar, director, National Health Mission, Karnataka, not all Covaxin doses with private hospitals have expired. There are nearly 12,000-14,000 doses that have longer shelf life and they can be used, she said.

“We won’t be monitoring vaccination in private hospitals. They have been instructed not to use the expired doses, as per the government of India communication. Now, it is their responsibility and obligation,” she said. When asked about the labelling of Covaxin vials with extended expiry, she said it should be clarified by the Drugs Controller General of India. Members of Covid Technical Advisory committee in Karnataka said the manufacturer has to take back the expired doses and provide fresh ones. “It’s a tricky issue involving children, parents, private hospitals, manufacturers and the government. The company should now play a responsible role by taking up confidence-building measures,” a member said.

PHANA members said most schools have tied up with the government for the free vaccination programme.