Vaccine no-shows wasting hundreds of jabs per day

Hundreds of Victorians booked for coronavirus vaccinations are not turning up to appointments each day, with calls for a system overhaul.

Hundreds of Victorians booked for coronavirus vaccinations are not turning up to appointments each day, sparking calls for a new back-up system to dish out unused doses.

The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal that on consecutive days last week there were more than 100 “no shows” at one of Melbourne’s state-run facilities.

Health workers say vials are not made up until appointees turn up, meaning doses are not thrown out, but there is capacity to boost vaccine rates by filling no-show gaps.

Wastage rates are extremely low in state-run centres, and is about 0.8 per cent on average for AstraZeneca and Pfizer, but no-show rates are high across the board.

At GPs and federally-run clinics the rates of wastage is less clear, but no-shows are also an issue.

Paramedic Shelly after receiving her second does of AstraZeneca. Picture: Mark Stewart

Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said daily alerts could be sent to the community about capacity, or other innovative solutions using SMS or other technology could be explored.

“We know there is capacity in the system so let’s not waste the opportunity when people fail to show up to get as many people vaccinated as possible,” she said.

“We need as many jabs into as many arms as quickly as possible to avoid these ongoing and damaging lockdowns.

“The Government could alert the community each day with information about which centres have capacity so that anyone who wants to get vaccinated could use the appointments of those who fail to show up and get their vaccination done.”

A Department of Health spokesperson said appointments were being missed, and that while “life gets in the way at times” there were efforts to confirm bookings ahead of scheduled times.

Medical staff at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre preparing to administer Covid vaccinations. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Carrie Bickmore waiting to get her jab in Melbourne.

“If the unavoidable happens, we ask people to change their booking online, or contact the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398 and cancel their appointment, so others can take their place,” the spokesperson said.

“A missed appointment does not mean vaccine is wasted, as vaccine is only drawn up as needed.”

Some vaccination centres accept walk-in appointments for second doses of Pfizer, meaning unused doses previously reserved for people who did not attend can be diverted to those people.

A federal Department of Health spokesperson said GP clinics have full control of their appointments, and the scheduling according to stock “is entirely within the clinic’s discretion”.

Some use waiting lists to try to provide unused doses to eligible patients or staff.

“Where neither of these options are available, then clinics are able to administer excess doses to other consenting adults to minimise wastage.”

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