Eight districts in Karnataka achieve negative Covid vaccine wastage

BENGALURU: Eight districts in Karnataka have achieved negative wastage of Covid-19 vaccines with healthcare workers carefully using each vial to inoculate more than the allocated 10 or 20 people.
Covishield comes in vials of ten 0.5ml doses each and Covaxin in two sizes: 10 and 20 doses of 0.5ml each. Each vial has one or two doses more to account for spillage while drawing the vaccine. With experience and zero-wastage emphasis, healthcare workers in these districts have achieved negative wastage.

Bengaluru city has topped the state in absolute terms in negative wastage: BBMP used 33,785 doses in excess of the allocated 10/20 per vial. In terms of excess dosage as a percentage of vaccine allocated, Dharwad (4.2%) and Haveri (4.1%) have done well. Dharwad has utilised 8,786 excess doses, followed by Belagavi (7,139), Uttara Kannada (6,381), Haveri (5,156), Chikkamagaluru (3,776), Kodagu (1,285) and Mysuru (497).
“Bengaluru has vaccinated more than 10 persons from a vial of Covishield and more than 20 persons from a single vial of Covaxin,” said Randeep D, special commissioner (health), BBMP. As per WHO norms, each vaccine vial has extra doses to account for the wastage in syringes. Once opened, the vial must be used up in 4 hours.
How dists made the best of doses
Amid continuing supply problems, eight districts in Karnataka have achieved negative wastage of Covid-19 vaccines. These are Mysuru, Bengaluru Urban, Kodagu, Belagavi, Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada, Haveri and Dharwad.
“These districts have ensured vials are not opened without enough beneficiaries around,” said Arundhati Chandrasekhar, mission director, National Health Mission, Karnataka. The state had logged a huge vaccine shortage four months ago. As on February 24, Bengaluru Rural and Hassan districts had 10 per cent wastage each, Bengaluru Urban 9 per cent and Chamarajanagar 8 per cent.
However, wastage is still a matter of concern in the rest of the state. According to Co-Win and the state government data, eight districts are on the radar for reporting more than 3 per cent vaccine wastage as on June 25. The highest wastage is seen in Bagalkot at 12.6 per cent, followed by Hassan at 8 per cent, Koppal 5.4 per cent, Ramanagara 5.4 per cent, Yadgir 5.1 per cent, Chikkaballapura 4.1 per cent, Ballari 3.8 per cent and Chamarajanagar 3.5 per cent.
“Thanks to vaccine eagerness, the wastage has reduced substantially in a few districts. There are strict instructions that no vial can be opened unless there are 10 people ready for the jab. If there are fewer than 10, they will be given tokens to come to the vaccination centre the next day so that wastage can be eliminated,” an official explained.
The shift is driven by huge demand. “First two months of the drive were limited to healthcare and frontline workers, and the vaccination was in hospitals or offices. Demand picked up after the drive was extended to citizens. This led to a better usage of the stock,” said BBMP special commissioner (health) Randeep D.
According to Chandrashekar, data entry could be an issue. “We have informed districts to carefully prepare a microplan and increase capacity building of the field staff. We have had training sessions and video conferences to monitor the same,” she said.