Health Ministry to Destroy 40.2 Million Expired COVID Vaccine Doses

TheIndonesia.id - The Indonesian Ministry of Health said about 40.2 million of expired COVID-19 vaccine doses had been sorted and are set to be destroyed immediately.

Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono said the millions of expired vaccine doses had been taken out of storage as they will be destroyed.

“The expired vaccines are no longer in cold boxes,” Harbuwono said during a hearing meeting with Commission IX of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, August 30, as reported by Antara.

According to him, the expired doses are located in various storage facilities in different regions and have been separated from the unexpired ones.

It was reported that the majority of expired doses were grant from other countries.

“Up until now, there are already 40.2 million of expired vaccines,” Harbuwono said.

The Ministry has informed vaccine storage facilities to continue sorting the expired vaccine doses in order to separate them from doses that still can be administered to Indonesian citizens. It will also coordinate with the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) to verify the amount of vaccines that will be later destroyed.