Chinook Regional Hospital ICU RN Carla Haney was the first person in Lethbridge to receive a COVID-19 vaccine on December 23. (Alberta Health Services)

By David Opinko

Alberta Health addresses “misinformation” about COVID vaccines being wasted

Jan 5, 2021 | 10:44 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Alberta Health (AH) says it has been doing everything it can to minimize the amount of COVID-19 vaccines that are being wasted.

According to a statement from Health Minister Tyler Shandro and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw, “some misinformation is circulating online about wastage of the COVID-19 vaccine.”

Dr. Tehseen Ladha, an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Alberta, for example, said on Twitter this week that “UNUSED doses of COVID-19 vaccine in opened vials are being DISCARDED at the end of the day. Alberta Health has directed staff to WASTE the vaccine rather than administer to people not in phase 1a of the rollout. Yet another massive failure in our #COVID19AB response.”

Another report LNN has heard is that, at the Lethbridge vaccine centre, each nurse could see as much as 15 per cent of their daily vaccine supply being thrown out. AH told LNN that they would not be providing any comments on Lethbridge specifically nor any additional comments beyond what was in their statement.

The statement from AH explains that doses are thawed and prepared according to pre-scheduled appointments and that appointments are overbooked to ensure that enough healthcare workers are always in line.

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“If a scenario arises where staff have no booked appointments left but there are thawed doses available, those administering the vaccines are able to vaccinate each other. The vaccine cannot be re-frozen or put in a fridge.”

“However, that does not mean that some wastage will not occur. In all large-scale immunization programs, a minimal amount of vaccine will be lost when drawing doses or if a vial is dropped or spilled.”

“While this is upsetting, it is unavoidable. It is also extremely limited thanks to the processes in place. In fact, the COVID-19 immunization program to date has had significantly less wastage per administered dose than what occurs in a typical influenza immunization program. In fact, wastage in the COVID-19 vaccine program is at 0.3 per cent, and typical immunization programs can see wastage around 6 per cent.”

In addition to the statement, AH responded to Dr. Ladha’s Tweets.

They said that “AHS is rapidly immunizing as many Albertans as quickly as possible, ensuring vaccine doses are utilized. There have been no reports of significant vaccine wastage.”

“If and when we have an appointment cancellation, we administer the allocated dose to the next person in line. Any currently unused doses are going to be administered to eligible Albertans in the coming days.”

As of the end of Monday, January 4, AHS confirmed that 26,269 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered.

Healthcare workers are first to be targeted for vaccines.

This month, the province hopes to immunize residents on long-term care and designated support living facilities and certain groups of seniors.