Health officials in Malawi have said they will burn 19,610 expired AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines to reassure the public that the vaccines they obtain are safe.
It was the first country in Africa to do this publicly.
The World Health Organization initially urged countries not to destroy expired doses, but is now changing its advice.
Vaccine intake in Malawi is low, and healthcare professionals hope the move will increase public confidence.
Of the population of approximately 18 million, the country recorded 34,232 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 1,153 deaths.
Malawi received 102,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from the African Union on March 26, using nearly 80%.
However, the label expired on April 13, so the vial was removed from the cold chain.
Malawi’s health minister told the BBC that it was a pity that the vials had to be destroyed, but the benefits outweigh the risks.
“When the news spread that we had an old vaccine, we realized that people weren’t coming to our clinic to get vaccinated,” said Dr. Charles Mwansambo. I did.
“If we don’t burn them, there are people who think we’re using expired vaccines at our facility, and if they don’t come to Covid-19, they’ll be hit hard.”
He added that the combustion was “just formal” because the dose had already been destroyed.
On the streets of the capital, Lilongwe, some people are worried about the safety of vaccines.
“I want to get the vaccine, but can’t I get the expired vaccine when I go to the hospital?” The shopkeeper Jack Citete told the BBC.
“I’ve heard a lot of stories about people getting blood clots and dying after being vaccinated. Are they lying? If that’s true, why are we given the same vaccine? ? ”I asked another shopkeeper, Mphatso Chipenda.
The link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and rare blood clots has not yet been proven, and health experts say the risk of Covid-19 is much higher, so people should be vaccinated if possible. Please give me some advice.
Malawi is not the only country in Africa where the vaccine has expired. WHO initially asked to keep the vaccine until it could be confirmed if it was still available.
However, it is now said that vaccines that have already been shipped from a manufacturer with an expiration date need to be destroyed.
“Disposing of vaccines is very disappointing in the context of vaccination programs, but WHO recommends removing these expired doses from the distribution chain and disposing of them safely.” It said in a statement May 17th.
Other vaccines currently in use have a shelf life of up to 36 months. The challenge with the Covid-19 vaccine is that it has been used for less than a year and there is no substantial data on its efficacy after a long period of time.
