Indore: If you get a slot to get the jab... take it. Don't skip it. If you do, you are spoiling someone else's chance to get inoculated and your absence will also tantamount to the wastage of the "costly" vaccine.
This is what happened again on Friday. Out of 14,450 people above 18 years of age who were supposed to be inoculated on Friday, 14,385 reached the ’altar’. As a result, 65 people not only didn’t reach the centre, but they also botched up the prospects of an equal number of people who failed to get a chance to get the jab job. The absence of 65 people also meant wastage of doses. It also means an economical loss to the state as well.
CALCULATING THE WASTE
“Due to people ‘missing’ their chance to get vaccinated, about two per cent of the total vaccine goes down the drain. A vial of COVISHIELD contains 10 doses while a vial of COVAXIN contains 20 doses. We cannot keep the vial open for more than four hours due to which the vaccine has to be thrown,” District Immunization Officer Dr Pravin Jadia said. He said they have started calling people an hour before closing the session to remind them about their slot being booked for vaccination. “Till May 21, we could vaccinate about 72,395 people above 18 years of age and the total wastage of vaccine would be about 1,447 doses i.e. 144 vials of COVISHIELD or 73 vials of COVAXIN,” Dr Jadia said.
At every vaccination site, an average of 2-4 doses go waste as people don’t reach the centre even after booking the slot. About 69 sites for those above 18 years of age are running in the city. “Vaccine for those above 45 years is provided by the Government of India while the doses for those between 18 to 44 years are bought by the state from companies. It costs Rs 300 for COVISHIELD and Rs 400 for COVAXIN,” Dr Jadia added.
Plan to avoid wastage, over 400 doses saved in three days
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had strictly directed the officials to stop wastage of vaccine after which officials have decided to call those who haven't reached the centre till 4 pm and later to vaccinate others through on-spot registration in order to prevent vaccine waste.
HOW DOES IT WORK
For example, if 15 persons fail to make it to the session site, one vial of ten doses can be saved for the next day while five doses can be administered to others through on-spot registration. “We have saved over 400 doses in three days in this way as we vaccinated those waiting through online registration at the end of the day,” the immunization officer added.
Prime Minister’s appeal to stop vaccine wastage
"There is an issue of vaccine wastage. Wasting even a single dose means not being able to give a shield to a life," said the PM during his interaction with field officials and district magistrates from 10 states.
Wastage of vaccine costs over Rs 5 lakh ‘at least’
As about two per cent of the total number of vaccines administered to people goes waste, about 1,447 doses had been wasted in the city out of the total 72,395 administered to people above 18 years.
As the state government has to purchase the vaccine for this age group, it costs Rs 300 per dose to them for COVISHIELD and Rs 400 for COVAXIN. It would be Rs 600 for COVISHIELD and Rs 1200 for COVAXIN in private hospitals.
Cost of doses goes to waste (in age group of 18-44 years)
Total doses administered from May 4 to May 21: 72,395
Total doses waste: 1447
Cost of doses if it was COVISHIELD bought by state: Rs 4,34,100
Cost of doses if it was COVAXIN bought by state: Rs 5,78,800
Cost of doses of COVISHELD if it was procured by private hospitals: Rs 8,68,200
Cost of doses of COVAXIN if it was procured by private hospitals: Rs 17,36,400
Cost if both the vaccine in equal quantity go in waste procured by state: Rs 5,06,100
Over 17,000 people inoculated on Friday
Total sessions held: 140
Health care workers (1st dose): 36
Health care workers (2nd dose): 5
Front line workers (1st dose): 146
Front line workers (2nd dose): 34
18 to 44 years (1st dose): 14385
18 to 44 years (2nd dose): 0
45 to 60 years (1st dose): 1271
45 to 60 years (2ndt dose): 770
Above 60 years (1st dose): 426
Above 60 years (2nd dose): 376
Total: 17449