COA: Wasted jabs exceeded limits
The number of wasted COVID-19 vaccines under the national government’s vaccination program went beyond the “acceptable” threshold, with a total of 68,681,445 doses in its inventory rendered unusable due to the acceptance of near-expiry vaccines and “operational” mishandling.
These were among the findings of the special audit report conducted by the Commission on Audit (COA) from May 2023 to January 2024 on the national inoculation campaign against COVID-19.
The over 68 million wasted doses, as of Nov. 30 last year, accounted for 27 percent of the about 251.8 million COVID-19 vaccines that were either procured by the national government or local government units or donated by other countries or foreign organizations. Notably, more than half of the wasted vaccines came from donors.
Beyond shelf life
The 27 percent, however, was above the ideal 25 percent “wastage allowance” set by Gavi, one of the organizations making up the COVAX facility that made COVID-19 vaccines available to developing nations under a cost-sharing scheme.
Of the vaccines that would have to be disposed of, some 57.3 million doses, or about 83 percent, had exceeded their shelf life. The rest needed to be discarded due to defects, discoloration/presence of particulate matter, temperature excursion or natural disaster and fire.
The COA noted that the wastage was also due to the fact that the government accepted doses, which were either procured or donated, although these were about to expire.
Worse, some of the procured vaccines that were shipped in November 2021 to the country were “already one to eight days past their labeled expiration date.”
“The high rate of vaccine wastage, particularly for certain brands, is a major concern and underscores the need for improved planning, distribution and storage strategies,” state auditors said in the special report released in December 2024.
By brand, the vaccines from AstraZeneca, Gamaleya, Janssen and Moderna had the highest wastage of above 25 percent due to various factors, including delayed delivery and vaccination schedules.
Challenges
The report, however, recognized the challenges that hounded the national vaccination program which led to “suboptimal vaccination coverage and substantial vaccine wastage.”
Among these were “vaccine hesitancy, logistical issues and poor vaccine management practices,” it said.
