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How many COVID-19 vaccines have been wasted so far across Texas? A small fraction, state says

Health officials say of the 3,164,150 vaccines distributed across Texas, 1,752 have been wasted so far. That's .06%.

Texas COVID-19 vaccine locations are wasting about .06% of all shipped doses, according to state officials.

On Friday, the Texas Department of State Health Services released its first report on doses that have been wasted. 

Health officials say of the 3,164,150 doses shipped across the state, 1,752 have been wasted.

Dallas and Harris counties have received the most vaccines doses among all Texas counties.

There are nine Dallas County locations currently working with the state to provide COVID-19 vaccine shots. They have received 173,325 doses and wasted 88. That comes out to .05%.

The most total wasted vaccines in Dallas County happened at the Children's Medical Center of Dallas. This facility lost 27 of its 20,200 doses (.13%).

There are 16 Harris County locations working with the state to provide COVID-19 vaccine shots. They have received 143,150 doses and wasted 350. That comes out to .25%.

RELATED: COVID-19 updates: Dallas leaders urge the business community to help with vaccine registration

Providers are required to self-report the reason why any vaccine doses that they received were unable to be used to vaccinate a person.

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.

The Colony ER Hospital in Denton County got rid of one of its 200 doses (.5%).

Refrigerator too warm

The state's vaccine locations have wasted 356 COVID-19 doses because the refrigerator or freezer was too warm.

Houston's Clinicas Mi Doctor on Broadway St. in Harris County tossed out 230 of its 600 doses (38%) because of its storage system getting too warm. This is the most vaccines wasted in Texas.

Orthopedic Specialists Of Austin in Travis County got rid of 63 of its 100 doses (63%) because of its storage system getting too warm. This is the highest percentage of received vaccines wasted in Texas.

Weatherford's Best Value Hometown Pharmacy in Parker County wasted 40 of its 100 vaccine doses (40%) due to its refrigerator. That was the most unused vaccines in North Texas.

Mechanical failure

Texas has seen 125 vaccines wasted due to some type of mechanical failure with the vaccine's storage system.

Graham Health Care in Young County had the most vaccines wasted due to mechanical failure. This facility lost 60 of its 100 vaccines (60%).

North Texas only lost three vaccines due to mechanical failure. 

These came from Sunnyvale's Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Dallas County, the City of Dallas and Frisco's Pediatric Pulmonary Associates of North Texas in Collin County.

Spoiled

The state has lost 699 COVID-19 vaccines so far because the doses spoiled. This is the most common way locations have had to waste vaccine shots.

Tyler's UT Health Science Center in Smith County threw out 175 of its 14,200 (.01%) because of spoiled vaccines. That's the most in Texas.

Medical City Frisco in Collin County got rid of the most COVID-19 vaccines in North Texas. This location tossed out 35 of its 3,300 doses (1.06%).

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