Czech Republic Disposed 17 Million COVID-19 Vaccines Since 2021

The Czech Republic has disposed of more than 17 million expired COVID-19 vaccines worth around CZK 7.5 billion, nearly half of the total ordered.

The primary reason is their expiration dates. According to Deputy Minister of Health Jakub Dvořáček, the country continues to receive updated vaccines tailored to new variants of the virus, leading to a cycle where older doses become obsolete.

“In November, the last batch was adjusted to the latest strain, and another update is expected in the fall,” Dvořáček stated.

Reports from Seznam Zprávy in 2023 indicated that the Health Ministry had already discarded 12 million doses worth 4.7 billion CZK at that time. In just over a year, the figure has increased by another five million doses.

By the end of 2024, the Czech Republic will have ordered over 40 million doses at a total cost of nearly 18 billion CZK, according to Ministry of Health spokesperson Ondřej Jakob. Of these, only four million doses have been donated to other countries.

New Shipments Until 2026

The Czech Republic is set to continue receiving vaccine shipments until at least 2026. However, as new strains emerge and new vaccines are introduced, demand for older doses diminishes.

“Once you have a new vaccine, you use it, and the old one becomes redundant,” Dvořáček explained.

This situation stems from a contract signed by EU member states, including the Czech Republic, with Pfizer/BioNTech in 2020. The updated agreement allows countries to pay a fee instead of withdrawing unused vaccines, reducing unnecessary stockpiling.

Last month, the European Commission signed a new four-year contract on behalf of 17 European countries for the purchase of up to 146 million mRNA vaccines from Moderna.

Unlike previous agreements, this deal does not mandate a minimum purchase requirement. The Czech Republic did not participate in the contract, according to Dvořáček.

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