VIJAYAWADA: As the state has been reporting 10 per cent wastage of COVID-19 vaccine, the government is now focussed on its effective usage by making people wait for the required number of beneficiaries to turn up at session sites before health staff open the vials.
A COVID-19 vaccine vial contains content sufficient to give jabs to 10 persons. To avoid inconvenience to the beneficiaries, the health staff used to open new vials as and when people arrived at the centres. The officials, besides increasing the number of vaccination centres, have asked the staff to open a vial only if the required number of people are present.
Stating that the content of a vial is wasted if not administered within four hours of its opening, Secretary (COVID-19 Management) Muddada Ravichandra said the state got 10 ml vials in the beginning of the inoculation campaign.
"Ten millilitre of vaccine is sufficient for 20 people, but because of the apprehensions attached to the process the turnout at the centres was low, and the staff began the process without waiting for the required number of persons," he said.
Muddada observed that the launching of more number of COVID-19 vaccination centres, and carrying out the immunisation campaign six days a week are other reasons for the wastage. "This resulted in less number of people turning up at the centres," he said.
"In several states, they administered vaccine only two-three days a week at less number of centres. Such states reported less wastage of vaccine. As the said 10 per cent wastage was calculated when around 12 lakh people were immunised, we are confident that the figure will come down drastically in the days to come," he added.
Ravichandra added as the vaccination drive will be taken up in village secretariats more number of people will be inoculated and the wastage will come down further. Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns on vaccine wastage emerging from the COVID-19 inoculation drive at a meeting with chief ministers last Wednesday.