Health Dept utilises all vaccine doses, zero wastage achieved

Patiala, September 17

Patiala Health Department today successfully utilised all Covid vaccines, which were set to expire. Health officials said no dose of Covid vaccine was wasted. Dr Veenu Goyal, District Immunisation Officer, said all doses, which were to expire on September 14 and 18, had been administered to the eligible beneficiaries before these expired.

She said, “We had given directions to all health centres to utilise the vaccines before the expiry date. Prompt action helped us and there was zero vaccine wastage.”

The Tribune had highlighted the issue of Covid vaccine that were set to expire and lying unused. That report prompted the authorities to expedite the vaccination.

Dr Veenu further added that new stock of vaccine – which have an expiry date of December, 2022 – have already reached health centres. “There will be no shortage of vaccines. We have already received new stock of Covid vaccines,” said Dr Veenu. She added that the Patiala Health Department has now started compounding the vaccines and giving a different booster dose than the previous doses. “It is for the first time we have started a heterologous booster dose in the district. We are now administering Corbevax as the third shot after two doses of Covishield or Covaxin for all adults.”