COVID vaccinations thrown away after courier company mistake

A doctor in Sydney’s south has been forced to toss 100 AstraZeneca vaccinations in what’s been dubbed a “huge waste”.

A family practice in Sydney’s south has been forced to toss 100 COVID-19 vaccinations after a courier company bungled their refrigeration in what’s been dubbed a “huge waste.”

A hundred elderly and vulnerable patients at Burraneer Family Practice in Sutherland will have to wait another fortnight to receive the AstraZeneca jab after they spoiled while being delivered by courier company Linfox last Friday.

The Burraneer Family Practice had to throw out 100 COVID-19 vaccinations. Picture: Getty

Practice nurse Julie said they were “extremely disappointed” to find the breach tag activated when they were delivered because the shots had not been properly stored in the Ultra-Low Temperature freezers.

“We had to cancel our patients after months of waiting. It’s extremely disappointing because they expected the vaccines and it’s a massive waste,” she said.

“Especially because we are being told to carefully draw the vaccine and now 100 doses are sitting in the fridge and can’t be used.”

The vaccination vials must be stored in cold chain conditions of between two and eight degrees to be usable and any breach of these conditions will result in the vaccine spoiling.

Frustrated patients will now have to wait until the next delivery arrives on April 15 to receive the jab while dozens of other doctors across Sydney vaccinate their patients.

“The annoyance from the patients who were hoping to get vaccinated is frustrating and disappointing,” she said.

“We’ve had people calling our nurses frustrated.”

A complaint has been lodged with the vaccine operation centre, which is currently in contact with Linfox about the reason for the mistake.

Linfox was contacted about the incident but declined to comment.

The bungle comes just a week after Australian GPs started administering the COVID-19 jab as part of phase 1B of the national vaccine rollout.

More than six million people - including the elderly and those with chronic conditions - are eligible to receive the jab as part of this phase.