Germany discarded a staggering 64.1 million Covid vaccine doses this year, marking a significant financial and logistical setback. According to the Paul Ehrlich Institute’s Center for Pandemic Vaccines and Therapeutics, the cost of destroying these expired doses alone amounted to approximately 145,000 euros.
However, this figure excludes the far higher expenses associated with storage and procurement, which have spiraled into the hundreds of millions.
Back in August 2020, the German government initially ordered 56 million vaccine doses at an average price of 2.30 euros each. Over time, costs surged, with at least 150 million euros spent on doses destroyed in 2024 alone. In total, the country has shelled out over 13 billion euros on vaccine orders since the pandemic began.
The wasteful trend isn’t new. In 2023, Germany discarded over 132 million doses, primarily because they expired or became ineffective against the XBB.1.5 Covid sub-variant prevalent across Europe since May 2023. As of early 2023, the government had already committed to purchasing 672 million doses, including 556 million procured under former Health Minister Jens Spahn.
This year, current Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announced the purchase of an additional 15 million doses for booster campaigns. Despite these efforts, widespread vaccine wastage persists, casting doubt on the country’s procurement strategy and inventory management.
Germany isn’t alone in this predicament. Across the European Union, at least 215 million doses valued at 4 billion euros were discarded by the end of 2023. Estonia and Germany led the pack in vaccine disposals per capita. Many of these doses were purchased during 2021 when the EU signed its largest single contract, committing to buy 1.1 billion doses.
The sheer volume of wasted vaccines underscores the challenges of forecasting demand during a rapidly evolving pandemic. While ensuring adequate supply was crucial, the costly destruction of unused doses raises questions about better allocation, storage, and planning for future public health crises.
