India frets over wastage of 'elixir-like' COVID-19 vaccines

NEW DELHI - About 6.5% of coronavirus vaccine doses in India are going to waste, health officials said on Wednesday, urging states to manage their immunisation drives better to optimise use of what one called "this elixir-like precious commodity".

One reason for the wastage is that, while many urban vaccination centres have been crowded, some rural sites have had to nudge people to get shots due to a lack of awareness among the public, which can lead to vaccine wastage. Once a vaccine vial is opened, doses need to be administered within four hours, making it vital for health workers to coordinate the flow of recipients.