Mauritius throws away 50,000 doses of vaccines after they passed expiry date

Mauritius has thrown way some 50,000 doses of the Vaxigrip Flu vaccines after the jabs were allowed to pass their expiry date, the Sunday Times has claimed.

The revelation came only days after the Ministry of Finance called on ministries and government-owned or run organisations to cut down expenses.

The vaccines were manufactured on January 13, 2021, and they expired in December 2021.

The doses were no longer used as most age groups were induced to get COVID-19 booster jabs instead.

While the destruction of medicines is said to be a “common practice” at the Ministry of Health, the newspaper reported that this particular case has raised eyebrows, especially in the wake of recent controversial “emergency purchases” and unaccounted wastes.

Staggering wastage of public funds sparked by negligence or through alleged breaches of procurement good practices have been vehemently denounced in the latest report of the Public Accounts Committee.

Whistleblowers at the Ministry of Health were cited as deploring the destruction of Vaxigrip Tetra flu vaccines as “yet another disgraceful case of waste of public funds”.

The vaccines, according to the newspaper, cost Rs 290 / unit. Total value of drugs destroyed therefore amounted to Rs 14.5 million.

Similar concerns are being raised over COVID-19 jabs that may nearing expiry date soon – hence the claim to allegedly force people to go for a third booster dose.