Amid fix over booster shots, unused Covid vaccines pile up in Karnataka private hospitals

BENGALURU: With no decision yet on booster shots, private hospitals across Karnataka are in a fix, not knowing what to do with the vaccine stocks which are nearing expiry.

The Union Government has not given any directives on what has to be done with the vaccines. Private hospitals in the state have also stopped procuring fresh stocks.

“Though the inoculation rate in Karnataka is considerably good, not many people are coming to private hospitals now for vaccinations. We are left with stocks of unused vaccines. Last week, we requested the Centre to take it back from us,” said a senior doctor from a private hosptial.

Representatives of the Private Hospitals And Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) had recently met the National Health Mission director with a request to take the vaccine doses that are lying with them.

The NHM had assured them of writing to the Centre with a request to either buy back doses or pay hospitals so that they can provide vaccines to people free of cost.

“We have requested the government to intervene. As of now, we have around eight lakh vaccine doses in stocks. Of this, about 10 per cent will expire this month and another 15 per cent by January. By March, 90% of the vaccines will expire. We are hoping to hear from the Centre by Monday,” said Prasanna, president, PHANA.

According to PHANA, most of the stocks are Bharath Biotech’s Covaxin vaccine.

A senior doctor from PHANA said some private hospital managements had directly contacted the vaccine manufacturer to take back the stocks, but they were told that the company can only revalidate the expiry date and send it back, and will not take back the vaccines. 

“Hospitals are worried that if the boosters are not approved, then even revalidating the vaccines to May 2022 may not help,” the doctor said. 

With nearly 30 cases of Omicron in India, virologists and medical experts in the state are pushing for booster doses.

A senior doctor from the Technical Advisory Committee of Karnataka said, “When several countries have decided to go for the booster dose, what more evidence is India waiting for?,” he said.