Vaccine Wastage in Uttar Pradesh has dropped to even less than 1 percent since the extensive vaccination drive has been started in the State. While many states are complaining about the shortage of vaccines on one hand and allowing substantial stocks to go waste on the other, Uttar Pradesh is working on a war footing to ensure maximum vaccination coverage.
In a recent data released by the Central Government, States like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu reported maximum wastage of vaccine doses.
Wastage of both Covishield and Covaxin has been brought down drastically over the past two and a half months to under 1 percent as per the health department data of 12 June 2021. The consistent efforts made by the state government including increasing the pace of inoculation has resulted in total wastage of vaccine to 0.89 per cent.
Over 36 districts of Uttar Pradesh recorded a negative wastage figure for Covaxin which shows more people are being inoculated than an intended number.Vaccine wastage for Covaxin is merely 0.87 percent. When it comes to Covishield, the state recorded only 0.92 total wastage of vaccines with as many as 25 districts showing a negative wastage figure.
Vaccine wastage refers to the number of doses wasted as compared to administered during the drive. Vaccine wastage can primarily be divided into two categories of: (1) wastage in unopened vials; (2) wastage in opened vials.
CM Yogi Adityanath has urged repeatedly on bringing down the vaccine wastage to zero in his high level COVID review meetings with the officials. In fact, the UP CM has already directed the officials to plan for scaling up of vaccination coverage through available stocks and anticipated supplies.
“Vaccine management is an equally important element and we are very mindful to keep it minimum” said a health official.
The State is clocking around 4 lakh vaccinations a day and planning to vaccinate around 10 lakh people from July onwards. In the last 24 hours, more than 4,04,192 people got their doses of the vaccine.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asked the officials to accelerate the vaccination campaign. “The target is to vaccinate 10 crore people by the end of August. There is a need to intensify the vaccination campaign. For the purpose, new vaccinators must be trained” directed the CM while addressing a high level COVID review meeting.
So far, Uttar Pradesh has administered a total of 2.46 crore vaccine doses. Of which, as many as 2,07,28,945 are first doses and 39,48,835 are the number of second doses.