More people must be available for vaccination at centres in Macuata Province to avoid opened vials being discarded.

Acting Divisional Medical Officer Northern Dr Tiko Saumalua said it was a challenge faced by health teams to discard opened vials when maximum number of people were not available at the vaccination sites.

“There’s a required number of people, basically around 10-15 people to be available before a vial is opened,”Dr Saumalua said.

“It is a challenge on the ground for our team, sometimes they come alone.

“The vials have only a short time carrier to be used for vaccination, once it surpasses then it needs to be discarded.

“Our teams are trying some strategies if one site doesn’t have the adequate number, they call the nearby sites if more people are there and they send the opened vial to be used.

“It becomes very tricky, sometimes at the end of the day, they open a vile and no one turns up so that vile has to be discarded as there’s no one around to be administered the vaccine.”

Dr Tiko is advising parents to bring their children and turn up in numbers so that the vials can be used up wisely and not be wasted and discarded.

Meanwhile, there are nine centres in Labasa where students and parents can access to get vaccinated, these are the Labasa Sangam, Labasa Muslim, Labasa College, Holy Family, All Saints, Ahmadiya, Seaqaqa Central, Naleba College and Nadogo Central.

Other centres are available on the ministry website.

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