Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Dec 4.
Published in final edited form as: Vaccine. 2017 Oct 21;35(48 Pt B):6751–6758. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.09.082

Table 3.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding vaccine vial usage and vaccine wastage among vaccinators at 54 selected health facilities and their supervisors at 11 selected local government areas (LGAs) of Nigeria, 2011.

Indicator Vaccinator (N = 54); % responding “yes”, (95% CI) LGA supervisor (N = 11); % responding “yes”, (95% CI)
General vaccine wastage-related knowledge and attitudes:
I am familiar with the multi-dose vial policy (MDVP) 55 (0, 100) 100 (100,100)
 MDVP knowledge: I can reuse an open vial of an eligible vaccine if stored in appropriate cold chain conditions 33 (5, 61) 100 (100,100)
 MDVP knowledge: I can reuse an open vial of an eligible vaccine if vaccine vial monitor is in stage 1 or 2 43 (9, 78) 64 (3, 100)
 MDVP knowledge: I can reuse an open vial of an eligible vaccine for up to 28 days 11 (0, 29) 35 (0, 96)
I received vaccine wastage targets from supervisor 12 (0, 25) 91 (68,100)
Vaccine supply has been affected by vaccine wastage 82 (42, 100) 38 (6,70)
There was wastage due to vaccine storage space constraints 0 (0, 1) NA
High wastage rates were a reason for recent vaccine stockouts 98 (93, 100) NA
I have attended a vaccine management training 2 (0, 5) NA
General vaccination-related practices:
In general, a vial is opened as soon as an eligible child comes to the facility 46 (0, 100) 76 (42, 100)
In general, a vial is opened only on certain days or when a certain number of children are present at the facility 54 (0, 100) 24 (0, 59)
Measles-containing vaccination-related knowledge:
Re-constituted measles-containing vaccine (MCV) can be kept for up to 6 h 85 (65, 100) NA
Measles-containing vaccination-related practices:
An MCV vial is opened as soon as an eligible child comes to the facility 2 (0, 5) 6 (0, 20)
An MCV vial is opened only on certain days or when a certain number of children are present at the facility 98 (95, 100) 77 (48, 100)
I wait for children to gather to a minimum number before opening a MCV vial 60 (25, 95) NA
General vaccine wastage-related practices:
I forecast vaccine needs based on target population 33 (3, 64) NA
I forecast vaccine needs based on previous number of vaccines used 53 (11, 94) NA
I request vaccine from LGA when needed (pull approach) 97 (92, 100) NA
I make an effort to reduce wastage 79 (63, 96) 79 (35, 100)
Vaccines were wasted due to cold chain failure at least once in the last six months 35 (0, 78) NA
Vaccine vials were lost/damaged at least once in the last six months 39 (24, 54) NA
I calculate wastage rates monthly for each vaccine 9 (0, 20) 83 (51, 100)
I calculate open vial wastage rates monthly for each vaccine 0 (0, 0) NA
I know the vaccine wastage rate targets 12 (0, 25) 91 (68, 100)
I know the variables needed to calculate wastage 16 (0, 31) 38 (0, 100)
I monitor cold chain temperatures twice daily 18 (6, 30) NA
I discard opened, usable polio vaccine vial at the end of session 47 (5, 89) NA
The national policy for when to open a vial is different than the practice in my LGA NA 36 (5, 67)
The practice in this LGA on use of the multi-dose vial policy is different than the official policy NA 7 (0, 22)
Main reasons why wastage occurs at your facility(s)
Spillage of vaccine 57 (30, 86) 12 (0, 31)
Inability to get all doses from vial 34 (6, 64) 28 (0, 64)
Discard 6 h after reconstitution 31 (11, 5) 47 (0, 100)
Exposure to high temperature 16 (0, 34) 35 (6, 64)
Breakage of vial 11 (0, 25) 0 (0, 0)
Exposure to freezing 5 (0, 18) 6 (0, 17)
Discarding an open vial with usable vaccine 1 (0, 4) 9 (0, 25)

Definitions: NA = statement not applicable or asked to this level; LGA = local government area; CI = Confidence interval; MCV = measles-containing vaccine; MDVP = multi-dose vial policy. For the MDVP, an eligible vaccine was described as those vaccines which could be stored past the 6-h mark after opening of the vial and vaccine was still in the vial.