Wastage of Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis and Haemophilus influenzae type-b vaccine (Tetravalent vaccine) and its impact on the increase of dose costs

Objective: Identify the monthly wastage of the Tetravalent vaccine (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine) and to quantify the monetary importance of such wastage for the public sector of Brazil. Methodology: The monthly vaccine wastage of the vaccination centers coordinated by the Epidemiology monitoring service of the Department of Health, Juiz de Fora city, MG, was analyzed in the period September 2008 - May 2010. Its impact on the cost of the Tetravalent vaccine was also estimated. Results: The number of doses of Tetravalent vaccine distributed was 45340, with a monthly average of 2160 distributed doses, in the considered period. The monthly average wastage was minimum in November 2008 (10%), and maximum in April 2009 (43%). The average wastage was 16%, or 7255 doses. Conclusion: vaccine wastages are significant in the country.