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COVID-19

COVID-19 Vaccine Shipments and Wastage in the United States

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Data from the initial COVID-19 vaccine shipments and wastage across the United States has been made available, revealing insights into the logistical challenges associated with the vaccine supply chain. The study, conducted in collaboration with NC State University and BuzzFeed News, analyzed data from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and found that CVS and Walgreens had the most wastage, followed by other retailers such as Rite Aid, the Indian Health Service, Publix, and Kroger. Among the states, Missouri had the highest percentage of doses wasted, followed by Tennessee, New York, Georgia, Arkansas, and New Mexico.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study analyzed data from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on initial COVID-19 vaccine shipments and wastage across the United States.
  • CVS and Walgreens had the most wastage, followed by other retailers such as Rite Aid, the Indian Health Service, Publix, and Kroger.
  • Among the states, Missouri had the highest percentage of doses wasted, followed by Tennessee, New York, Georgia, Arkansas, and New Mexico.
  • The study found that six awardees recorded around 83% of wasted vaccines, while the remaining 52 awardees recorded 17% wastage based on the data available.
  • The study noted that 179.7 million vaccine doses were shipped, and 182,800 doses were reported as spoiled, representing 0.102% wastage.
  • The authors highlighted the potential for vaccine hesitancy to impact the supply chain and distribution network for vaccination, and recommended that demand and waste estimates be made to optimize the supply chain.

Statistics:

  • 179.7 million vaccine doses were shipped.
  • 182,800 doses were reported as spoiled, representing 0.102% wastage.
  • 0.102% wastage overall, with 0.0241% of Janssen vaccines, 0.0867% of Moderna vaccines, and 0.1221% of Pfizer vaccines wasted.
  • CVS and Walgreens received 11% of total doses at the time, according to the study.
  • Missouri had the highest percentage of doses wasted among the states, with 1.7% of Moderna vaccine doses wasted.

Sources:

  • U.S. Medicine

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