Namibia destroys 150,000 COVID vaccine jabs

[speak easy]

Namibia's President Hage Geingob announced Monday that the first cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant had been detected in the country, which was forced to dispose of 150,000 expired vaccine doses.

Geingob called on citizens to get booster jabs after 18 Omicron cases were identified in the country, which neighbours South Africa where the variant was first discovered last month.

Only 12.1 percent of Namibia's 2.4 million people are fully vaccinated so far, with the low uptake largely blamed on hesitancy.

"It is highly regrettable that we are forced to destroy in excess of 150,000 vaccines, which have reached expiry date because those who are eligible are refusing to be vaccinated," Geingob told a news conference in the capital Windhoek.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-12-namibia-omicron-cases-jabs.html

"Hesitancy" has also brought South Africa's vaccination program to a stand still

South Africa Asks J&J, Pfizer to Stop Sending Vaccines
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-24/s-africa-wants-j-j-pfizer-vaccine-delivery-delay-news24-says

[Pinback]

1. It's a global problem: "US throws out millions of doses of Covid vaccine as world goes wanting"

- The Guardian, Oct. 16, 2021

The United States is wasting millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses even as shortages plague many parts of the world.

At least 15m doses were scrapped in the US between March and September, according to one analysis of CDC data. A separate investigation found 1m doses were discarded in 10 states between December and July.

States continue tossing unused shots. Louisiana has thrown out 224,000 unused doses of the Covid vaccines – a rate that has almost tripled since the end of July, even as a deadly fourth wave of the virus gripped the state. Some of the lost doses came from opening and not finishing vials, but more than 20,000 shots simply expired.

Thousands of doses are reportedly wasted each day in Wisconsin. In Alabama, more than 65,000 doses have been tossed; in Tennessee, it’s almost 200,000.

More at link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/16/us-throws-out-millions-doses-covid-vaccine-world-shortages

Vaccine hesitancy is causing doses to be discarded after their expiration dates are reached. Unfortunately, with so many people declining vaccination, waste is part of the equation. Fortunately, vaccine manufacture continues, and worldwide distribution is ramping up.

[malaise]

2. Same here

Stupid people don't want vaccines

[malaise]

3. Same here

Stupid people don't want vaccines

[Mr.Bill]

4. To hell with any news outlet

that uses the word "jab" to describe administering a vaccine.

[speak easy]

5. you prefer 'shot'?

[Mr.Bill]

6. Injection would be the proper term in most cases.

"Jab" started to appear on RWNJ anti-vax websites first. And yes, I would perfer shot. I've never heard a doctor call it a jab. In the context they use it in, "doses" would have been more accurate.

[Maru Kitteh]

8. I automatically assume the writer is a BSCRWNJ anti-vaxxer when I see "jab."

Completely agree with you. Clinical language would be best, but you didn't hear this "jab" bullshit until the anti-vaxxers started taking over social media.

"Get your flu shot here!" - I've seen that for DECADES. Never once in my life saw I sign advertising "flu JABS here." That's anti-vax framing.

[cinematicdiversions]

11. Jab is the more common vernacular in the English speaking world

Certainly that would be the preferred term in British Africa

[Silent3]

9. That's actually common British slang

Doesn't bother me.

[Liberal In Texas]

10. BBC news presenters pretty much always say "jab." I've never heard one say "shot."

It's not anti-vax. It's Brit.

[Hortensis]

7. 150K vaccine doses expired unused in Namibia due to vaccine refusal.

That represents a lot of lost lives. At least the death rate is relatively low compared to many other areas.