On August 27, Dr N Shyamjai in a memorandum instructed all CMOs/DFWOs/DIOs and all staff involved with COVID-19 vaccination to make sure that the used vaccine vials are properly accounted for and stored appropriately.
TFM News Service
Two days after State Health Society, NHM, Manipur issued a circular, Dr N Shyamjai, the State Mission Director on Sunday clarified that there are no confirmed cases of miscreants misusing the empty vials of used COVISHIELD by refilling it with an unknown substance and trying to sell it in Manipur.
On August 27, Dr N Shyamjai in a memorandum instructed all CMOs/DFWOs/DIOs and all staff involved with COVID-19 vaccination to make sure that the used vaccine vials are properly accounted for and stored appropriately.
The memorandum mentioned that the state team will monitor the issue during visits to the districts and cold chain points. This instruction is to be strictly followed so as to prevent anyone from misusing the used empty vials.
The district officials had also been instructed to alert the State Mission Director, NHM, or State Immunization Officer if anyone comes to know of any information about misusing Covishield vaccine vials.
Speaking to TFM on Sunday, Dr N Shyamjai clarified that the circular was issued as a precautionary measure. There are no confirmed cases that the empty vials of the Covid vaccine are “refilled and used by unscrupulous elements for monetary profit or benefit. We are just taking precautions so that the empty vials are not misused. We have apprehensions that this could be perpetrated, so we will be collecting the empty vials and store them at our headquarters. There have been instances of duplicate vaccines being brought in by a non-local, he was arrested in Manipur. We do not want the empty vials, the numbering and the batch papers to be misutilised,” Shyamjai said.
He pointed out that there may be pilferage of the actual vaccines and being sent to Myanmar as registered organisations can purchase the vaccine for their members. “So, if some vaccines are left, then people may think of monetizing it. He said that the government is providing the vaccine free of cost and individuals should exercise caution to get vaccinated from state health services and approved private hospitals.
Dr N Shyamjai appealed that the public should get vaccinated at the earliest as the delta variant is highly contagious. “We know that those who are vaccinated can become positive but the severity is less if vaccinated,” he said. The government has been able to vaccinate at least 15 lakh till date. The vaccine first dose has been administered to 61 percent of the population and 17 percent for the second dose, he added.
While allaying all fears, another health worker who does not want to be identified but is a team member of the vaccination drives in one of the valley districts too warned that even if there were no confirmed cases, there is the possibility of unscrupulous citizens conniving with outsiders to sell the vials in the local market or smuggle the same to Myanmar.
It may be mentioned that a combined team of Narcotics Affairs of Border (NAB) Police Station and Singjamei Police Station seized two carton boxes of 48 packets of DESREM Rx Remdesivir for injection 100 mg/vial, Lyophilized powder for injection for IV Infusion Discard Unused Portion single-dose vial Sterile, 100 bottles of SII ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Corona Virus Vaccine (Recombinant) COVISHIELD 5ml – 10 doses.
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