Reasons vaccines are thrown out include:
Storage refrigerator/freezer too warm
Mechanical failure of the refrigerator/freezer
Broken vials or syringes
Spoiled vaccine (a vaccine that couldn’t be used within the required timeframe)
The Texas Department of State Health Services says it reaches out to providers reporting discarded doses to ensure that they follow proper storage and handling procedures and to allow them to correct any data entry errors.
Expired vaccines
There have been nine total vaccines thrown out due to the doses expiring, all coming from four Texas locations.
Tatum s Brookshires Pharmacy in Rusk County threw out five of its 500 COVID-19 doses (1%) because they expired. That s the most in the state.