Special camps to cut Corbevax wastage

Pune: The state immunisation office is hoping to reduce the Corbevax wastage by conducting special camps once the academic session starts next week.
Dr Sachin Desai, state immunisation officer, public health services, said the unavailability of beneficiaries could have resulted in the higher vaccine wastage. It could be brought down once ample individuals were present at a vaccination site, he said.
At present, the Corbevax wastage is highest among all the Covid vaccines in India.Its average wastage rate is 10.76% across the state, while Covaxin has 2.79% wastage and Covishield reported a marginal wastage of 0.09%.
The reason for Corbevax’ higher wastage rate is its 20-dose vial and the low number of beneficiaries across the vaccination sites. The indigenous vaccine of Hyderabad-based Biological E Limited is currently being administered to 12-14 age group beneficiaries.
Sanjay Patil, chairman, IMA’s Hospital Board of India, Pune chapter, told TOI, “We are seeing the higher wastage of the Corbevax and Covaxin because the overall response to vaccination has gone done in the past few months. Once it gains response, the wastage figures will go down. If the manufacturers can bring 10-dose and five-dose vials, it can also help in making sure the doses do not get wasted.”
Suryakant Devkar, chief immunisation officer, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), said many Corbevax beneficiaries were being turned away because all 20 beneficiaries could not be found present at the time of vaccination.