coronavirus vaccines-waste

▲ A boy receives a vaccine shot against the new coronavirus at a clinic in Seoul on March 31, 2022, as the government began administering shots to children aged between 5 and 11 with Pfizer Inc.'s vaccine as part of efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus. (Yonhap)

coronavirus vaccines-waste

2.33 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccines discarded since February last year

SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- Some 2.33 million doses of coronavirus vaccines had been discarded here since February last year, which is equal to 1.8 percent of the 132.8 million doses of vaccines imported here so far, a report showed Monday.

Of the disposed-of vaccines, Moderna took a lion's share of 72.4 percent at some 1.68 million, followed by Pfizer with some 340,000, AstraZeneca with some 258,000 and Janssen with some 45,900, according to the report compiled by Rep. Suh Jung-sook of the opposition People Power Party (PPP).

The vaccine waste was due to low uptake, as most were multi-dose viral vaccines and expired due to reasons such as temperature.

The health authorities expect more vaccines to be wasted down the road, as the termination of the vaccine pass scheme and wider infections have reduced demand for vaccination.

The number of fully vaccinated people in the country came to 44.5 million, or 86.7 percent of the 52 million population, while 63.9 percent had received booster shots.

Meanwhile, an additional 145.48 million doses of vaccines are set to arrive here this year, with 14.96 million doses of vaccines already imported this year as of Feb. 24.

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