TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma ranked the worst in the U.S. for wasted doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to an NBC News report on Monday.
The state discarded 28 percent of its near-4 million dose supply between December 2020 and mid-May, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alaska ranked second-worst with 27 percent of its 1 million dose supply getting tossed.
Overall, pharmacies, states, U.S. territories and federal agencies discarded 82.1 million vaccine doses during that time period — more than 11 percent of the doses the federal government handed out.
The overall amount of waste is in line with World Health Organization estimates for large vaccination campaigns, according to NBC News. CVS and Walgreens both released statements pointing to the multidose nature of the vaccine and its limited shelf life while faced with more supply than demand as reasons for the waste.
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