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Our analysis of Texas State Department health services data found that 350 of those wasted doses were in Harris County.
At the county level, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo previously said 20 doses were lost “because two vials fell and broke because a gust of wind passed and five (doses) , there was just no one to give them to. “
READ ALSO: Houston Department of Health Responds to Concerns Over 2nd Doses of Vaccine
The hundreds of wasted doses are only a small percentage of the 3,160,000 total doses of vaccine Texas has received so far, but with thousands of residents on waiting lists for vaccines, doctors say that the “precious good” should not be wasted.
INTERACTIVE: 13 Investigates maps all providers who have reported vaccine waste to the state. Larger dots indicate more waste based on the amount of vaccine shipped by each supplier. Explore the map below to see details on why the vaccines were wasted. On a mobile device? Click here for a full screen experience.
Within 45 minutes of receiving his first doses of the state’s COVID-19 vaccine in December, Genesis Medical Group doctor Dr. David Ellent said doctors had worked until Christmas to administer it to the qualified personnel for the first phase of the state immunization plan.
“Every dose, that doesn’t go to a healthcare professional, goes to patients or goes to a member of the community to make sure no dose is wasted,” he said. “It is a very valuable commodity.”
The rules of the national vaccination plan are clear and mention waste 11 times. Whenever a dose is wasted, providers are required to report it to the state within 24 hours.
Each Moderna vaccine contains 10 or even 11 doses, and all should be used within six hours of opening the vial, according to health guidelines.
The Pfizer vaccine should be stored at a certain temperature and once thawed, it should be used and cannot be refrozen, according to the company.
Statewide, 40% of vaccine waste was due to product spoilage and 20% because the vaccine was stored at too high a temperature, the data showed.
On a mobile device? Click here.
According to state data, 7.7% of the 1,751 vaccine doses reported wasted were at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center.
“During the Christmas holidays, the team thawed enough doses to administer to those who were due to come and receive the vaccination; unfortunately, many people canceled, which led to 135 doses not being administered this week- there, “the hospital said in a statement. to 13 Surveys. “Of course, we deeply regret that any amount received was not administered. We’ve provided additional insight into the many processes in place to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Overall, Memorial Hermann has administered over 77,000 vaccines and we are committed to ensuring that all vaccinations we receive are administered safely. “
A Clinicas Mi Doctor location on Broadway Street in Houston reported the highest number of wasted doses with 230 doses of the vaccine that had to be discarded because they were not stored at a sufficiently cool temperature, according to data from the Texas DSHS.
“On January 2, the Clinicas Mi Doctor- # 23 Broadway site experienced an equipment failure, causing a temperature excursion for 230 doses of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. The problem was detected when I returned to work on Monday January 4th. contacted and a review determined that the vaccine must be wasted and unusable. Replacement doses have been delivered. Clinicas Mi Doctor is committed to ensuring safe distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine and is taking steps to ensure equipment is more closely monitored. spokesperson said in a statement to 13 investigators.
We also looked at the providers who reported the most waste based on the total number of doses received. Our analysis found that orthopedic specialists in Austin have the highest percentage of waste, with 63 of the 100 doses received reported as wasted due to poor refrigeration, according to data from the Texas DSHS.
13 Investigators contacted orthopedic specialists in Austin after we received the State of Texas DSHS on Friday afternoon, but the office was closed.
Lack of access
Harris Health System CEO Dr Esmaeil Porsa told 13 Investigates that lack of access to the vaccine is now having a disproportionate impact on those affected by COVID-19,
WATCH: Getting vaccinated shouldn’t be like ‘The Hunger Games,’ judge says
The health care system, which serves as a safety net for the county’s vulnerable and uninsured, said it had to cancel hundreds of vaccine appointments last week at seven locations across the county due to a lack of supply.
Porsa said Harris Health has a system in place to make sure every dose is used as soon as she gets it, but the supply is just not there.
Speaking of the health system’s efforts to avoid waste, Porsa recalled a recent day spent administering vaccines. After that long day was over, he said they realized they had about eight to ten extra doses that needed to be used before they were considered bad.
“The staff were late for a few hours finding additional patients to whom we could administer the vaccine,” Porsa said. “I am very proud of the way we administered the vaccines, the minimum waste.”
Ellent, an oncologist, said the vaccine offered more than just protection against the virus for her cancer patients, who are already isolated while undergoing chemotherapy.
“Cancer is hard enough. You put COVID on top of that and it’s devastating,” he said. “I give them hope and I give them the world because before that they can’t even come out. They are afraid. Patients speak through the screen with their family members. It becomes like a prison. … The vaccine actually gives patients hope to break this chain. “
13 Investigates heard from residents across the county that they had called several providers to try to get an appointment. At Genesis Medical Group, 6,700 people were on a waiting list to receive the vaccine last week.
“If you give me 6,700 shots, trust me, we can use them in a week, but I have to get the shot,” Ellent said.
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