Show an ad over header. AMP

I am the FIRST!!!

Report: CVS and Walgreens have wasted over 128,000 COVID doses, more than most states combined

CVS and Walgreens, two pharmacy chains that have worked with the federal government to administer COVID-19 vaccines, wasted more doses than most states combined, per government data obtained by Kaiser Health News.

Why it matters: The wasted doses raise questions about the efficacy of the vaccine rollout, especially now as the U.S. starts sending extra doses to India and other COVID-stricken countries.


By the numbers: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 182,874 wasted doses as of late March, per KHN.

  • CVS accounted for nearly half of the doses, while Walgreens was responsible for 21% — nearly 128,500 wasted shots altogether.
  • Pfizer made up nearly 60% of wasted doses.

The other side: CVS and Walgreens did not immediately return Axios' request for comment, but a CVS spokesperson told KHN the waste is a product of "transportation restrictions, limitations on redirecting unused doses, and other factors."

  • A CDC spokesperson said "a higher percentage of the overall waste would not be expected," given early vaccination efforts heavily depended on the two pharmacies, KHN reports.

Another caveat: KHN's findings are based on CDC data that does not include reports from 15 states, D.C. and multiple U.S. territories.

The big picture: The U.S. has administered over 247 million vaccines, according to the CDC.

  • Experts say it's important to track wasted doses to help identify where officials might need to make distribution adjustments, per KHN.
  • Any waste is essentially "throwing [taxpayer] money down the chute," Bruce Y. Lee, professor of health policy and management at the City University of New York, told KHN.
  • Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have limited shelf lives.

The bottom line: "One thing is clear: Months into the nation’s vaccination drive, the CDC has a limited view of how much vaccine is going to waste, where it's wasted and who is wasting it, potentially complicating efforts to direct doses to where they are needed most," KHN writes.

regular 4 post ff

infinite scroll 4 pff

Employees grapple with re-entry anxiety as jobs call them back

Pandemic-related anxieties are entering a new phaseas more employers start to call vaccinated workers back into their offices.

Why it matters: Some employees simply don't want to go back to the office; some are desperate to. Some are struggling to rearrange their routines yet again; some don't have that flexibility. And everyone — employers and employees alike — is figuring out on the fly how to make it work.

Keep reading...Show less

Biden issues executive order that requires new steps on climate-related financial risk

President Biden issued an executive order Thursday that directs agencies government-wide to launch or expand efforts to analyze and lessen economic risks stemming from climate change.

Why it matters: The move signals growing concerns that the government lacks sophisticated understanding of how global warming creates new or growing jeopardy for financial and government institutions, consumers and other parties.

Keep reading...Show less

Biden's infrastructure deal gives no clarity on corporate or individual tax rates

President Biden yesterday announced "we have a deal" on an infrastructure bill, while surrounded by a bipartisan group of senators in the White House driveway.

Between the lines: No they don't. Unless you want to make the word "deal" as squishy as the word "infrastructure" has become.

Keep reading...Show less

White House to send federal law enforcement to Haiti

The White House will send federal law enforcement officers to Haiti imminently to help investigate the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday.

State of play: Senior officials from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security will travel to the capital city of Port-au-Prince "as soon as possible" to "assess the situation and how we may be able to assist," Psaki said.

Keep reading...Show less

Insights

mail-copy

Get Goodhumans in your inbox

Most Read

More Stories
<!ENTITY lol2 “&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;&lol;“> <!ENTITY lol3 “&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;&lol2;“> <!ENTITY lol4 “&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;&lol3;“> ]> &lol4;