Covid-19 vaccination: With 15% doses wasted, states up their game

Some want an earlier roll-out for those over 50; others say CoWIN needs to shape up

A month into the world’s largest vaccination drive, as the country prepares to enter the third phase of nationwide inoculation, which will entail giving the jab to those aged over 50, the states are trying to reduce vaccine wastage.

According to industry estimates, around 15 per cent of the vaccines have been wasted sofar — the result of low turnouts. States such as Tripura, which have seen a high turnout, have wasted fewer vaccines.

“Tripura has had a high turnout of over 75 per cent for vaccination, and thus it has been able to limit waste. It is almost down to zero