A possible shortage of one to two billion syringes needed to administer COVID-19 vaccinations in 2022 could also impact routine immunizations and undermine needle safety, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday.
Locally, the Department of Health said local government units (LGUs) have been given funds to buy syringes, but a shortage has hampered immunization in some regions.
The syringes in question are specifically used for mRNA vaccines such as those for COVID-19.
The issue came up after Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Camarines Norte Provincial Health Officer Dr. Arnel Francisco said they received Pfizer vaccines without syringes.
This incident happened a few months ago and has already been addressed, adding that the situation in Sorsogon and Camarines Norte might just be isolated cases, Vergeire said.
UNICEF, the United Nation’s fund for children, is predicting an “imminent shortfall” of up to 2.2 billion of the single-use syringes used to give jabs, WHO Africa said.
These include auto-disable syringes used to administer Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid vaccine, it said.
The shortage will remain through at least the first quarter of next year, it said in a weekly online briefing.
National health authorities should plan their needs well in advance to avoid the “hoarding, panic buying and type of situation” seen early in the pandemic with the lack of personal protective equipment, WHO expert Lisa Hedman said.
“We could have a global shortage of immunization syringes that could in turn lead to serious problems such as slowing down immunization efforts as well as safety concerns,” she told a UN briefing.
A shortage could lead to delays in routine vaccinations, particularly for children, and other health services, and it could also encourage the unsafe reusing of syringes and needles, particularly in poorer countries, Hedman added.
About 6.8 billion COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered globally, almost double the number of routine vaccines, Hedman said, compared to total manufacturing capacity of about 6 billion immunization syringes a year.
That means the world could face a shortage of up to two billion syringes next year, unless more factories are shifted to producing the right kind of device for shots, Hedman said.
“If we shift capacity from one type of syringe to another or attempt to expand capacity for specialized immunization syringes, it takes time and investment,” she said.
