November 10, 2021 – There could be a shortage of one to two billion syringes needed to administer COVID-19 vaccinations in 2022. The shortfall would also impact routine immunizations and could undermine needle safety, the World Health Organization warned yesterday.
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, Reuters reports.
About 6.8 billion COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered globally, almost double the number of routine vaccines, WHO expert Lisa 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.
Hedman advised national health authorities to plan their needs well in advance to avoid the hoarding and panic buying incidents that were common early in the pandemic with the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE).
“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,” Hedman said at a U.N. briefing.