The Auditor General’s report for 2022 has disclosed that the Ministry of Health disposed of 94,464 vials of expired Sputnik COVID-19 vaccines worth $410.8m.
According to the report tabled in Parliament on Monday, the expired Russia-developed vaccines were disposed of during the period January 14th 2022 and April 8th, 2022. The ministry had made no announcement on this.
The Head of the Budget Agency explained that there had been a “sudden and unexpected decline in demand for Sputnik Vaccines which resulted in a dramatic slowdown in use”. Other vaccines had become available then.
In addition, Sputnik had not been approved by the World Health Organization so it could not be used for travel purposes.
The report also said that while the supplier was to deliver 400,000 vials, only 305,536 vials arrived. The sum of $409m was refunded to the Consolidated Fund.
The Sputnik vaccines were bought from Dubai’s Sheik Ahmed Dalmook Al-Maktoum at a time when no other vaccines were available to Guyana.
Each person required two shots, both of which were different.
