Vaccine wastage in J&K: New data to bring down wastage numbers, officials claim

According to the Union Health Ministry, Jammu and Kashmir has reported a vaccine wastage of 10.8 per cent which is above the national average of 6.3 per cent.

After the Centre flagged high wastage of anti-Covid vaccines in Jammu and Kashmir, health officials in the Union Territory claimed the high numbers are due to pending data and once it is uploaded, the wastage numbers will come down. According to the Union Health Ministry, Jammu and Kashmir has reported a vaccine wastage of 10.8 per cent which is above the national average of 6.3 per cent. The ministry asked the states and UTs to keep the vaccine wastage below 1 per cent. Speaking to India Today over the phone from Srinagar, J&K's Financial Commissioner of Health and Medical Education Department Atal Dulloo said the UT has reported vaccine wastage of only 1.7 per cent as far as Covishield is concerned. For Covaxin, however, the wastage stands at 10.8 per cent which is due to pending data that is being uploaded, he added.