COVID19: Telangana reports 17.6% of vaccine wastage, highest in country
The country's overall percentage of vaccine wastage is around 6.5 per cent.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 17 March 2021 2:59 PM GMT
Hyderabad: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on March 17 said that around 17.6 per cent of vaccines were wasted in Telangana, the highest in the country since India has started its vaccination drive. This is followed by another Telugu speaking state, Andhra Pradesh, which has wasted around 11.6 per cent of vaccine doses.
The country's overall percentage of vaccine wastage is around 6.5 per cent.
"Vaccine is an invaluable commodity which is a public good which can be optimally utilised. The state should work towards reducing such wastage which can increase if more people get inoculating and disrupting the transmission chain," said Rajesh Bhusan, Secretary MoHFW.
Vaccines invaluable commodity, vaccines are public health good optimally utilised, wastage drastically reduced, inoculating more people, disrupting change,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday during the meeting with Chief Ministers regarding the COVID-19 situation also warned to take the problem of vaccine doses wastage very seriously. He noted that the vaccine waste in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to the tune of 10 per cent. He urged to immediately correct the drawbacks of planning and governance at the local level to reduce vaccine waste.
Till now, In Telangana, 8,17,742 persons have been vaccinated so far. Of whom 5,89,176 got the first jab, while 2,28,566 gets the second shot.
Apart from health care workers and frontline workers, around 2,00,838 people above 60 years of age have also received the jab. Around 73,400 persons above 45 years with comorbidity were also vaccinated.
Around 3,50,64,536 vaccine doses have been administered through 5,86,855 sessions in the country. These include 75,06,155 Health Care Workers (1st dose), 45,54,855 Health Care Workers (2nd dose), 76,00,030 Front Line Workers (1st dose) and16,47,644 Front Line Workers (2nd Dose), 21,66,408 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific comorbidities (1st Dose) and 1,15,89,444beneficiaries aged more than 60 years.
India has authorised two vaccines, Covishield produced by the Serum Institute of India, and Covaxin from Bharat Biotech. Covishield, each vial contains 10 doses, while Covexin has 20. Both vials need to be used up within four hours once opened. The wastage of these vaccines is reported as the people not turning up to the site on time.
