BENGALURU: The Karnataka Health Department has revealed that 4.3 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccines stocked in government and private hospitals in Karnataka will expire by February end, of which one lakh doses will expire by January 31.
A report released by the department says that 1.1 lakh of Covaxin and 3.2 lakh of Covishield are set to expire within two weeks. In Bengaluru, there are 16,000 doses of Covaxin and 26,080 Covishield available, which if not used, will also expire. Dr Prasanna HM, president, Private Hospital and Nursing Home Association, said that one lakh doses of vaccines stored in private hospitals and which cost Rs 4 crore, will expire by February end.
After a long-pending request, the Central government had released eight lakh doses of Covishield vaccine on January 15 to the state, which are already on the verge of expiring in a few days, said a health department official.
Dr Rajini, deputy director (immunisation), told TNSE, “We are completely relying on the Vaccine Melas to clear the stock. The next mela will be organised on January 31,” she said. In the Vaccine Mela organised on January 21, 2.2 lakh vaccine doses were administered in Karnataka.
Prasanna said in private hospitals the demand for booster doses has been negligible for the last few months, especially since the government decided to provide free booster doses. Dr Ravindra R, medical director, Suguna Hospital, added that the demand was so low that the vaccine doses were getting wasted.