Private hospitals can now swap out COVID jabs nearing expiry for vaccines from govt hospitals having longer shelf life

The health ministry has reiterated that exchange of COVID-19 vaccines between private and government hospitals in states is allowed.

A large number of private hospitals, which have stocks of vaccine vials with expiry dates ending in March this year, had requested the state governments to exchange them with vials that have longer shelf life.

Private hospitals have been experiencing poor demand for COVID-19 vaccines over several months.

The ministry said that it does not have objection if states allow swapping of shots and it had earlier permitted Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Maharashtra to do the same.

The Centre maintained that no vaccine vials, either in government or private hospitals, should be wasted and added that provision of entry of the exchanged vaccines is available in the Co-WIN portal.