Karnataka has reported wastage of more than 1 lakh Covid-19 vaccines, since the beginning of vaccination drive in January. The state wasted 2.29 % doses per district on an average, according to report published in Prajavani on Wednesday citing a state health department official.
Among the districts, Bagalkot reported the highest vaccine wastage with 22,196 doses at 12.66% followed by Hassan with 17,028 at 8.01%.
One of the reasons for the wastage is vaccination of less than 10 people from each vial during the first vaccination drive, the state health officials informed. тАЬIdeally, at least 10 people should get vaccinated within four hours of opening a vial containing 11ml of vaccine that remains effective for four hours,тАЭ a health department official said.
Bagalkot district health officer Dr Ananth Desai said wrong statistics on the CoWIN portal about the doses administered has also caused wastage in BagalkotтАЩs Gulegagudda taluk. He clarified that the portal showed only 34,000 doses as being used, even though Guledagudda taluk had used 54,800 vials of both Covaxin and Covishield vaccines. тАЬDue to the erroneously published data, Guledagudda taluk had wasted over 20,000 vials of vaccine. We are rectifying the data on the portal,тАЭ Dr Desai said.
Deputy commissioner of Dharwad, Nitesh Patil said тАЬall precautions have been taken to stop the vaccine wastage or minimise it in the district.тАЭ
Despite the wastage of vaccines, 10 districts of the state have also achieved more than the targeted vaccination. Shivamogga, by administering 6% more doses than the target, has topped among these 10 districts. This could be achieved due to increased awareness and monitoring of the optimum use of vaccines, informed Shivamogga deputy commissioner KB Shivakumar.
The rest of the nine districts that have vaccinated above the target are Udupi, with 5.57 %, Dakshina Kannada with 4.71%, Dharwad with 4.25%, Haveri with 4.16%, Uttara Kannada with 3.65%, Chikkamagaluru with 2.25 %, Belagavi with 1.72%, Kodagu 1.36%, Bengaluru with 1.29% and Mysuru with 0.13%.
The supply of vaccines also played a role in achieving above the target in 10 districts.
