20% of Healthcare Providers Fail to Comply with Vaccine Storage Requirements, Putting COVID-19 Shots at Risk, US

More than 20 percent of healthcare providers in the United States failed to meet the vaccine storage standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), potentially leading to recipients receiving inert COVID-19 shots, according to a recent study. The study, published in the journal Vaccine and conducted by experts from the CDC, analyzed compliance rates among 14 different healthcare provider types. Vaccine storage and monitoring performed the worst among all stages, with a compliance rate of only 79.9 percent. The lowest compliance rates in vaccine storage and monitoring were found in state or local corrections/detention facilities (64 percent), urgent care centers (66.2 percent), and pharmacy-independent providers (69.7 percent). The two most commonly used COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, Pfizer and Moderna, have strict temperature storage requirements, making compliance crucial to ensure the vaccines remain effective. The study also highlighted low compliance rates in the reporting category, which includes immunization registry reporting, inventory reporting, temperature excursion, and vaccine wastage reporting, with an overall compliance rate of 82.6 percent. The researchers called for further research to strengthen vaccine storage, handling, and administration practices in future widespread vaccination efforts. It is important to note that studies have shown a significant amount of COVID-19 vaccine wastage globally, with an estimated 1.1 billion doses wasted since the global rollout. In the United States alone, 82.1 million doses were wasted between December 2020 and May 2022, with retail pharmacies Walmart and CVS being responsible for more than 25 percent of the wasted doses. Ensuring proper compliance with vaccine storage standards is essential to avoid wastage and ensure the effective distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.