MUMBAI: An estimated 40,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine have gone waste in Maharashtra since the launch of the countrywide vaccination drive on January 16. State health officials, though, said the vaccine wastage rate was 5.2% and well within the 10% limit factored in by the centre.
The wastage was higher during the initial days of the vaccination when the turnout was poor in several districts, said officials. It subsequently reduced as more recipients turned up and centres could take walk-ins. Sources from vaccination centres said wastage was more in Covaxin centres, where turnout has been low, and vials contain 20 doses. Compared to that, Covishield vials contain 10 doses and often there is an 11th dose, said a doctor from RN Cooper’s vaccination centre.
Till Thursday, Maharashtra had completed vaccinating over 8.3 lakh healthcare and frontline workers. Dr Dilip Patil, state immunisation officer, said that vaccine wastage is an expected component of any immunisation programme and the vaccine is always procured with estimated wastage. “Open vials have to be discarded within six hours. However, centres are coordinating well to use every last dose,” he said. While states like Tamil Nadu have reported up to 15% wastage, most have claimed their wastage rates to be between 3%-4%. Studies in the past have shown that BCG and measles vaccines have a wastage rate of up to 61% and 35% respectively.
Meanwhile, the vaccination turnout in the state saw a record rise on Thursday. As many as 48,006 healthcare and frontline workers took the vaccine across Maharashtra. This is by far the highest turnout seen in a single day since the beginning of the drive. Dr Patil said it would be difficult to comment if a rise in infections was driving more healthcare workers to come out and take the vaccine. Of the 48,006 vaccinated, 21,748 were health workers and 26,258 were frontliners.
Mumbai, too, for the first time saw a more than 100% turnout of health workers. A total of 12,459 people took the vaccine out of the scheduled 10,500. It included 3,316 healthcare workers and 10,097 frontliners. Additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani said CoWin was functioning well and people were getting comfortable with the idea of vaccination. The city completed vaccinating 1.5 lakh of the nearly 4 lakh registered.
Administration of the second dose picked up in the state, where 7,075 could take it, while it could be administered to nearly 1,000 in Mumbai. Two more private hospitals, Saifee and Breach Candy, started vaccinating their staffers within their own premises on Thursday.