Maricopa County Discarded More Than 500 Coronavirus Vaccine Doses

PHOENIX, AZ — The Maricopa County Department of Public Health threw out more than 500 unused doses of coronavirus vaccines at five vaccination sites in order to maintain quality, Arizona's Family reported Tuesday.

The news site cited public records that showed the department wasted 553 doses between Dec. 17 and Jan. 20. About 152 doses were wasted at the central distribution location, 106 at the northeast one, 134 at the northwest site, 49 at the southeast site and 112 at the southwest site.

“We have worked closely with our health care partners to report to us daily what they consider vaccine waste,” the county said. “That means if there is any concern about the quality of the vaccine or any information is not readable on the label, manufacturers have advised providers to throw out the vaccine in order to maintain a safe operation.”

County spokesperson Fields Moseley said the health department works diligently to prevent unnecessary waste of vaccines, but that some waste is unavoidable.

For example, some people do not show up for appointments after the doses have already been thawed for the day, and some vials have more than five doses in them, according to the county.

Moseley said the county has administered leftover doses to volunteers and others who are eligible for the vaccine or on standby to help prevent waste.

Dr. Will Humble, the executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association and former state health director, said the standard wastage is about 5 percent, and the state has discarded 0.3 percent of its allotted doses.

“At first blush, 500 sounds like a lot, but when you look at it in terms of the percentage of vaccines that have been distributed at those county pods, it’s a really impressive number, I think,” Humble told Arizona's Family. “It’s a testament to both the logistics folks who set those pods up and the supply chain people who keep the vaccine coming out at the right interval so it doesn’t spoil, along with good training.”

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey said Tuesday on Twitter that vaccine doses going to waste is “shocking and unacceptable” and that it must be prevented from happening.

"The COVID-19 vaccine is a precious and limited resource," the governor tweeted. "This has not and will not happen at any state-run sites, and local leaders must prevent it from ever happening again at any county-run site."

The state on Wednesday reported 2,296 additional confirmed coronavirus cases and 214 additional deaths.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.