Over 25,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were wasted in Tamil Nadu due to low turnout at vaccination centres throughout the first phase of the drive, which began on January 16, 2021.
So far, 1,97,114 beneficiaries have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus disease in the state.
According to a Times of India report, the Directorate of Health, which is overseeing the coronavirus vaccination drive in the state, has said that almost 15 percent of the vaccine shots that were allotted to the state, went waste.
Both Covaxin and Covishield – the two COVID-19 vaccines that have been granted emergency use approval in India – come in vials of 10 to 20 doses. They need to be used within four hours. Due to low turnout in Tamil Nadu, there are now several vials containing unused doses. These have been stacked away in special boxes labelled “unusable vials”.
Health officials do not have permission to administer these to elderly persons, even if they are willing. Several of these patients with comorbidities have been waiting to get their first COVID-19 vaccine shot in the state. Senior epidemiologists, virologists, and infectious diseases experts have recommended that the unused vaccines be administered to the vulnerable population who are willing to get vaccinated.
Demanding the government gives its nod to begin coronavirus vaccination for all, Infectious diseases expert Dr Subramaniam Swaminathan said: “This will reduce wastage. Some people may jump the queue, but even that may still be better than wasting precious doses. At least 100 countries across the globe are still waiting for their first dose.”
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has said that the Government of India is making sure that no vial of coronavirus vaccine or the session goes wasted. He further said that in case of absenteeism, i.e., if the beneficiaries do not turn up, their vaccines are being allotted to others to ensure there is no wastage.
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