Quixplained: What is vaccine wastage, and how can it be prevented?

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns on vaccine wastage emerging from the Covid-19 inoculation drive. Vaccine wastage is an expected component of any large vaccination drive, and a vaccine is procured from the maker with an estimated wastage. For each vaccine type, the wastage has to be within recommended limits.

How is vaccine wastage quantified, why does it happen, and what are the ways in which it can be reduced? Take a look:

What is vaccine wastage?

How does vaccine wastage happen?

Different stages where wastage happens

States with higher vaccine wastage

Ways to prevent vaccine wastage