Covid-19 vaccines worth tens of millions of euro 'written off' after reaching expiry date
HSE figures show total cost of 'obsolete' vaccines is more than €180m
New figures from the Health Service Executive show Covid-19 vaccines worth €64.5 million were written off last year as they had reached their expiry date and could not be used.
Further vaccines, worth €22 million, were also written off during 2023 as they were expected to reach their expiry date before
use.
According to the HSE's annual report and financial statements for 2023, the equivalent charge in the 2022 financial statements was €94.4 million.
"The total expenditure on purchases of Covid-19 vaccines up to December 31, 2023 was €449 million. The obsolescence
write-offs to that date – amounting to a total of €181 million – represent 40% of the total spent," states the report, which was published on Friday.
Other figures relating to the Covid-19 pandemic show that as of December 31 last, the HSE held stocks of antigen tests that cost €12.5 million that are expected to reach the manufacturer’s expiry date before they can be used.
Costs of €2.3 million were also incurred last year in respect of the storage of personal protective equipment (PPE) that has been classified as obsolete.
"This comprised around €1.3 million for storage of large quantities of hand gel, €500,000 for storage of protective suits and €500,000 for assorted other items of PPE. The cumulative storage costs for these obsolete items over the past three years is around €5.25 million," states the report, which runs to almost 200 pages.
According to the report, the HSE received specific Covid-19 funding of €662 in 2023 million from both the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Inclusion and Youth.
"This €662 million was provided to ensure that the HSE’s Covid-19 strategy was appropriately funded whilst ensuring the delivery of ongoing health and disability services in a continuing Covid-19 environment," it states.