As US battles delta variant, tens of thousands of vaccine doses are set to expire

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge, tens of thousands of vaccines are set to expire in the coming weeks, with some states already reporting thousands of "wasted" doses.

As the delta variant continues to drive the nation's latest coronavirus surge, tens of thousands of vaccines are set to expire in the coming weeks -- with several states already reporting thousands of "wasted" doses. While the full extent of COVID-19 vaccine waste in the U.S. remains unknown due to data reporting disparities between the states, research by ABC News reveals that several states have thousands of vaccines expiring as soon as next week, and tens of thousands more expiring by the end of August. Among the states reporting a high number of expiring doses are several states with low vaccination rates, like Alabama and Arkansas, where coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have been on the rise for weeks. Local health officials told ABC News they are concerned the doses will go to waste if demand does not pick up.