In an update that has left many astounded, Germany appears to be on a fast track to discarding 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
The financial implications of this wastage could easily exceed several billions of euros.
As provided by the health ministry, the country has already disposed of 83 million doses of vaccines amounting to an approximate cost of €1.6 billion (roughly $1.7 billion), according to Politico.
Astonishingly, 120 million more doses are currently idle in storage, even as the nation anticipates more vaccine deliveries.
Meanwhile, the rate of vaccination has plateaued.
The official data highlights that 54 million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been trashed by the end of 2022, with an additional 29 million getting discarded in the first quarter of 2023.
However, the health ministry suggests the actual numbers could be significantly higher.
In a communication to POLITICO, the health ministry stated, “Accordingly, a total volume of total disposed COVID-19 vaccine doses acquired by the Federal Republic of Germany cannot be quantified.”
This lack of concrete figures stems from the fact that federal states and healthcare providers are not mandated to report wastage of vaccines.
As per the recent data from the EU’s disease control agency, only 268 doses were administered during the week of June 5, with a meager 1,462 vaccinations over the three preceding weeks.
Considering Germany’s population of 83 million, the nation has managed to administer 192 million vaccines since the onset of the pandemic, Politico notes.
The financial burden of this vaccine wastage is projected to be in the billions.
Although the ministry hasn’t disclosed the specific vaccines being wasted, it has confirmed that the 29 million doses that expired by the end of the first quarter of 2023 comprised of 5 million Moderna, 18 million BioNTech/Pfizer, and 6 million Novavax vaccines.
Using these ratios and the leaked prices of €19 ($20.90) per dose for Novavax, €23 ($25.50) for Moderna, and €19.50 for BioNTech/Pfizer, the total cost of the unused vaccines, including the current stockpile of 120 million doses, is approximately €4 billion.
Complicating matters further, Germany, along with other EU nations, is obliged to accept even more vaccine doses following a recent agreement with Pfizer, the U.S. pharmaceutical giant.
Although the exact delivery figures remain undisclosed, an insider from a confidential meeting relayed to POLITICO that the EU is set to receive 260 million doses over the next four years.
