Officials say millions of dollars worth of H1N1 vaccine is expiring a year early and will be discarded at the end of May if not used.
British Columbia received 4.3 million doses of the vaccine last year to fight the H1N1 flu. There were two seperate vaccines, one including adjuvant, an additive that boosts the immune system, and one without intended for pregnant women.
All of the doses were supposed to last 18 months, but some of the adjuvant doses expired earlier this year -- and the remaining adjuvant shots will expire at the end of May.
If they go unused, the total value of wasted vaccines will be about $20 million.
But a Ministry of Healthy Living spokesman says because the federal government paid 60 per cent of the cost of B.C.'s H1N1 vaccines, the loss to the province will amount to only $8 million.
Healthy Living Minister Ida Chong told CTV News the wasted vaccine is partly a result of low immunization rates in the province.
"We were required to order enough doses for every British Columbian who wanted one," she said. "We did try to get out the word that everyone should have an immunization, but our takeout rate was only 40 per cent."
Chong added that there is still time for those interested in being immunized to receive the vaccine in the next month.
The remaining adjuvant-free doses are still due to expire in spring 2011.
The federal government bought more than 50 million doses of H1N1 vaccine from manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, the bulk of it including adjuvant.
There is no indication yet whether it will receive any compensation for the doses that expired early.
