Kirstin Peterson works on contract for Healthcare Australia to give vaccination to elderly residents at an elderly care facility in western Sydney.
One day she realized there were Pfizer vaccines soon to be expired and to be thrown away, so she called her daughter and two nephews and arranged for them to revceived the remaining doses.
Ms Peterson said all three were eligible for Pfizer but had not been able to book a place,
Each Pfizer vial contains five doses of vaccine, but once the seal is opened, the contents cannot be stored anymore.
"It breaks your heart to see (the remainder of) this dose as a nurse," Peterson told 9News A Current Affair. “This is terrible. You spray it in the trash. You feel bad, it could be used for someone, but they are thrown in the trash. ”
Ms Peterson, who has worked as a nurse in Sydney for the past 40 years, said she had worked hard to minimize Pfizer's waste.
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination Source: AAP
"I usually don't have any left to throw away. I was very lucky. And the day my family members came in, there was nothing to throw away. They were used."
NSW is experiencing a shortage of Pfizer supplies while having enough AstraZeneca for residents.
Pfizer is the vaccine of choice for younger Australians due to a very rare blood clotting disorder detected from AstraZeneca, but health authorities have been actively encouraging Sydneysiders to receive any vaccine available due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Peterson said even though she lost her job, she left confident that she made the right decision.
“There's no profit for me, I don't get any financial incentives. I believe I did the right thing. Part of the code of conduct is to be smart and cost effective.”
“All I would like to stress is I do not want to see one dose of Pfizer going to waste at this current time,” she said. “We need to have as many jabs as possible. I do not want any wastage.” - Dr. Kerry Chant
Meanwhile, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant when asked about Peterson's dismissal, told reporters he was not aware of the specifics but issued a message not to waste Pfizer.
“What I want to stress is that I don't want to see a dose of Pfizer go to waste right now. We have to jab as much as possible. I don't want any wastage."
Reason for dismissal
In a statement, Healthcare Australia said Peterson had been fired because he did not dispose of the excess vaccine.
"In the event that there are still unusable excesses on eligible individuals as determined by the Commonwealth, HCA follows government policy for disposal," a spokesperson said.
Vaccine residue regulations posted on the Ministry of Health's website to minimize vaccine wastage state that doses must be administered to a quick-acceptance-on-the-spot resident prior to administration to vaccinating staff, facility staff, residents' families or caregivers or regular visitors to elderly care facilities. that.
