## Vaccine Wastage in UIP **Key Point:** Opened vial wastage is the single largest contributor to vaccine loss in immunisation programmes, accounting for approximately 5–10% of total vaccine wastage in India. ### Why Opened Vial Wastage Occurs Once a multi-dose vial (e.g., OPV, DPT) is opened: - It must be discarded after **4 weeks** (or 6 hours if opened in an unsupervised setting) per WHO guidelines - Low immunisation coverage or poor attendance leads to incomplete vial utilization - Sessions are often planned without accurate population estimates - Vials cannot be recapped or stored for future use ### Other Causes of Wastage (Less Common) | Cause | Frequency | Preventability | |-------|-----------|----------------| | Opened vial expiry | **Most common** | Moderate (better microplanning) | | Cold chain breakage | Common | High (improved logistics) | | Expired stock | Moderate | High (inventory management) | | Contamination/spillage | Rare | High (training) | ### High-Yield Fact **High-Yield:** The UIP emphasizes **microplanning** (estimating target population within 1 km radius) to minimize opened vial wastage. States with better microplanning show <5% wastage; those without show >15%. ### Clinical Pearl **Clinical Pearl:** ANMs (Auxiliary Nurse Midwives) are trained to open only as many vials as needed per session. Overestimation of attendance is a common error in poorly supervised clinics.
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