More than 82 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have reportedly gone to waste since the beginning of the pandemic, according to media reports.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared the data with NBC News, meaning that just over 11% of doses the federal government distributed between December 202 through mid-May were discarded.
That’s nearly 20 million more doses wasted than the 65 million The Associated Press reported wasted in February. CVS and Walmart were responsible for the largest amount – over a quarter – of doses thrown away during the 1.5-year time period. Other chains like Rite Aid, Costco and a dialysis center each wasted more than a quarter of the doses they received, the report said.