AUSTIN (KXAN) — The state revealed Friday the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses wasted since the rollout started has been less than 0.1%.
Out of more than 3 million doses shipped to the state of Texas, only about 0.06% or 1,751 shots were thrown out, the Texas Department of State Health Services said.
In Travis County, there were nine vaccine providers listed, but most of them only wasted a few doses.
One Austin provider however did receive 100 doses and had to discard 63 shots. State officials said the fridge was too warm. They say they'll continue to work with these same providers as long as they fix the problem.
"So what happens is, as we actually work with the providers, we do some outreach, and we make sure that they are aware of the storage and handling procedures that they should be following," a DSHS spokesperson said.
Officials said the most common reason for discarding doses is when someone drops a syringe or touches it, and it's no longer sterile. DSHS leaders are glad to see that's happening rarely, and vaccine providers are for the most part protecting these shots.
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