More than one lakh Covid-19 vaccine doses wasted in Karnataka so far

Bagalkot district has registered the highest wastage of Covid-19 vaccine in the state, while Shivamogga has achieved vaccination exceeding the number of doses listed on the vial label by utilising the additional ml of dose available in each vial.

According to a document provided by a deputy commissioner, till June 25, the wastage in the district is 22,196 doses (12.66% of net wastage), whereas Hassan stood second with 17,028 doses (8.01%). As many as 20 districts reported wastage of doses and the average wastage of doses by these districts was 2.29%.

According to the document, these 20 districts have wasted 98,840 doses since the immunisation drive began on January 16.

However, some districts have been able to vaccinate additional people by using the ‘spare’ one ml of vaccine that is available in each vial.

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Each vial of Covishield or Covaxin contains 11 ml of vaccine, to help jab at least 10 persons. The manufactures add one ml of ‘overfill,’ so that health workers can deliver accurate doses.

Districts which reported additional usage of the vaccine allotted (negative wastage of vaccine) are: Shivamogga reported -6%, Udupi (-5.57%), Dakshina Kannada (-4.71%), Dharwad (-4.25%), Haveri (-4.16%), Uttara Kannada (-3.65%), Chikkamagaluru (-2.52%), Belagavi (-1.72%) Kodagu (-1.36%), BBMP (-1.29%) and Mysuru (-0.13%).

BBMP, with a -1.29% wastage has delivered an additional 33,785 doses, while Belagavi has ensured 7,139 people got the additional vaccines.

Speaking to DH, Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner K B Shivakumar said they practised two simple methods to increase the number of vaccinations per vial: one by properly training health workers in administrating the vaccines and second by constant monitoring of the vaccine usage.

Udupi reproductive & child health officer Dr M G Rama, who is also incharge of the vaccination drive, said the district was able to achieve such high rate due to participation of the people.

“Many of our vaccination centres have witnessed altercations with the public, who were demanding higher vaccination. There was no chance of wasting vaccines,” he said.

Bagalkot district health officer Dr Anant Desai said the data of the district has been erroneously entered in the Cowin app. He claimed that the total wastage of vaccine in the district is just 3.9%.

“We have asked the state-level officials to rectify the details,” he said.

Deputy director of immunisation Dr Rajani Nageshrao and Dr Arundathi Chandrashekar, mission director of the National Health Mission, Karnataka, did not respond to repeated calls by DH.