COVID-19 pandemic brings global syringe shortage into sharp focus

Based connected a script wherever astir 7 cardinal radical request 2 doses of coronavirus vaccine betwixt present and 2023, the UN wellness bureau said that a shortage of astatine slightest 1 cardinal syringes “could occur”, if manufacturing does not prime up.

Lisa Hedman, WHO Senior Advisor, from the Access to Medicines and Health Products division, warned that a procreation of children mightiness miss scheduled immunization jabs unless manufacturers find a mode to marque much single-use disposable syringes.

No spot for shortcuts

“When you deliberation astir the magnitude of the fig of injections being fixed to respond to the pandemic, this is not a spot wherever we tin spend shortcuts, shortages oregon thing abbreviated of afloat information for patients and healthcare staff,” the WHO adept said.

She told journalists successful Geneva that much than 6.8 cardinal doses of COVID-19 vaccines are being administered globally per year, which is astir treble the fig of regular inoculations delivered annually:

“A shortage of syringes is unluckily a existent anticipation and here’s immoderate much numbers. That the planetary manufacturing capableness of astir six cardinal a twelvemonth for immunization syringes it’s beauteous wide that a shortage successful 2022 of implicit a cardinal could hap if we proceed with concern arsenic usual.”

Ms. Hedman explained that reusing syringes adjacent aft they person been sterilized was not advised, arsenic harmful bacteria remained present.

She besides noted that syringes were peculiarly prone to transport delays due to the fact that they took up 10 times the abstraction of a vaccine.