This is a very important topic and I would encourage you so send in your ideas and experiences on how vaccine wastage rates can be reduced.
Nearly two years ago a study was published that analysed pentavalent wastage rate in 20 different countries - with results from some of these countries over four or five years.
The purpose of the study was to assess the cost impact of the more expensive single- and two-dose vials against the anticipated savings through reduced wastage.
The study found that smaller vials sizes result in reduced vaccine wastage (not surprisingly) but that this is clearly not the whole story. Typically there can be up to a ten-fold difference in wastage rates even when the number of doses in the vial is the same:
Single-dose vials resulted in wastage rates varying from 1% (in Bolivia in 2006) to 10% (Guyana, 2005)
Two-dose vials resulted in wastage rates varying from 1% (Mali, 2006) to 27% (Kenya, 2005), and
10-dose vials resulted in wastage rates varying from 4% (Niger, 2006) to 44% (Bangladesh, 2005)
Changing the vial size is a technical solution that contributes to lower vaccine wastage - but what about the management solutions? for example.
where possible, decreasing the number of immunizations sessions and therefore increasing the number of people who attend,
consistently implementing the open vial policy (see:
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2000/WHO_V&B_00.09.pdf)
more effective routine measurement and supervision of wastage rates and
regular surveys to assess actual wastage rates
We would like to hear your experiences particularly about easy-to-implement and effective ways to reduce wastage and any studies you know of how wastage has been assessed
and reduced as a result of the study.