Loadshedding and expired stock some of the reasons for Covid-19 vaccine wastage in Gauteng
Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi, has attributed loadshedding as one of the reasons for Covid-19 vaccines going to waste in the province.
Mokgethi addressed the Gauteng Legislature on Tuesday, where she answered questions about the number of vaccines having been lost since the province started its vaccination drive at the beginning of the year.
She told Members of the Provincial Legislature other reasons include high temperatures, expired stock that was not used before the expiry date, as well as breakages.
Since February, a total of 191 Pfizer and 498 Johnson & Johnson vials have gone to waste in the province.
There are six doses in every one Pfizer vial and five doses in every J & J vial.
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Mokgethi says some vials go to waste because there are fewer people to vaccinate.
"Vials are being opened to vaccinate few patients in the que especially towards close of business as the number of vaccines then will be lesser to the number of doses per vials.
"Not all doses are used thus resulting in those doses being discarded."
Gauteng, which was the epicenter for the 3rd wave in South Africa, has only vaccinated 29% of its adult population.
The National Department of Health is nowhere near its target of having vaccinated 70% of the country’s adult population by December, with just more than 33% having been fully vaccinated.
