Prakash Patel - Department of Community Medicine, SMIMER Medical College, Surat, India
Jayesh Rana - Department of Community Medicine, SMIMER Medical College, Surat, India
Sunil G. Jangid - Department of Community Medicine, SMIMER Medical College, Surat, India
Neha Bavarva - Department of Community Medicine, SMIMER Medical College, Surat, India
Manan Patel - Department of Community Medicine, SMIMER Medical College, Surat, India
Raj Kumar Bansal - Department of Community Medicine, SMIMER Medical College, Surat, India

Background As per the vaccine management policy of the Government of India all vaccine vials opened for an immunization session were discarded at the end of that session, irrespective of the type of vaccine or the number of doses remaining in the vial prior to ۲۰۱۳. Subsequently, open vial policy (OVP) was introduced in ۲۰۱۳ and should reduce both vaccine wastage as well as governmental healthcare costs for immunization. This study evaluates the vaccine wastage after introduction of the OVP and its comparison with the previous study of vaccine wastage in Surat city before implementation of OVP. It needs to mention that the vaccine policy for this period under comparison was uniform except for the OVP.   Methods Information regarding vaccine doses consumed and children vaccinated during immunization sessions of ۲۴ urban health centers (UHCs) of Surat city were retrieved for the period of January ۱st, ۲۰۱۴ to March ۳۱st, ۲۰۱۴. The data were analyzed to estimate vaccine wastage rate (WR) and vaccine wastage factor (WF). In order to assess the impact of OVP, vaccine WR of this study was compared with that of previous study conducted in Surat city during January ۱st, ۲۰۱۲ to March ۳۱st, ۲۰۱۲.   Results The vaccine WR for oral polio vaccine (OPV) has decreased from ۲۵% to ۱۳.۶۲%, while the WRs for DPT, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the pentavalent vaccine combinedly have decreased from ۱۷.۹۴% to ۸.۰۵%. Thus, by implementation of OVP, an estimated ۷۴۷ ۷۲۷ doses of OPV and ۳۴۳ ۷۲۵ doses of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus toxoid vaccine (DPT), HBV and the pentavalent vaccines combinedly have been saved in Surat city of India in a year.   Conclusion The implementation of the OVP in Surat city has led to a significant lowering in the vaccine wastage, leading to savings due to lower vaccine requirements.

Open Vial Policy (OVP), Vaccine Wastage Rate (WR), Vaccine Wastage Factor (WF), Pentavalent Vaccine