POST 00462E : VACCINE WASTAGE

POST 00462E : VACCINE WASTAGE 11 June 2002 ___________________________________________________ Ãœmit Kartoglu ( mailto:[log in to unmask] ) from WHO wants to revive the discussion on vaccine wastage interrupted some months ago. In this posting he raises critical questions relevant to reducing wastage and he proposes formulas to calculate different types of wastage rates. ___________________________________________________ It has been quite some time that the vaccine wastage issue was brought up to the agenda. At one point Bob Davis (mailto:[log in to unmask]) from UNICEF had raised the issue of failure to cut wastage rates in POST00404E: A WAKE-UP CALL FROM AFRICA - THREATENED STOCKOUTS OF GAVI PROVIDED VACCINES FOR AVOIDABLE REASONS (4 January 2002). No feedback was received on this. In 2001 TechNet had a discussion on vaccine wastage mainly focusing on how to calculate. These postings were as follows (All these and above mentioned posting can be accessed from http://listes.ulaval.ca/listserv/archives/technet21e.html Post00311 ESTIMATING VACCINE WASTAGE FACTORS 16 January 2001 Post00316 ESTIMATING WASTAGE FACTORS 29 January 2001 Post00320 WASTAGE FACTORS Continued PLUS! 13 February 2001 Post00324 VACCINE VOLUME IMPACT CALCULATOR 27 February 2001 Post00345 VACCINE WASTAGE 05 June 2001 Post00349 VACCINE WASTAGE 13 June 2001 Increasing EPI vaccine costs during the last couple of years in combination with tightening vaccine security, as well as introduction of new and under-used vaccines through GAVI, urge countries to take a more serious look at vaccine wastage. As requested by GAVI, countries are requested to bring down vaccine wastage rates: "The country would aim for a maximum wastage rates of 25% set for the first year with a plan to gradually reduce it to 15% by the third year. For vaccine in single or two-dose vials the maximum wastage allowance is 5%. No maximum limits have been set for yellow fever vaccine in multi-dose vials." The burning question is: “ how to reduce vaccine wastage?â€