WHO warns of looming Covid-19 syringe shortage

Geneva, November 9 (BNA) The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday that another challenge looms on the planet’s vaccination efforts: a shortage of injections.

There could be a shortage of one to two billion injections next year, Lisa Hedman, a WHO specialist, said Tuesday in Geneva.

Poorer countries, which often place small orders and therefore have no priority with manufacturers, can be particularly affected.

The World Health Organization calls on countries to plan in advance and order large quantities, if possible, and to heed the six-month lead time that is often necessary for manufacturers.

In a typical year, 16 billion injections are given worldwide, according to estimates by the World Health Organization.

Before the pandemic, vaccines accounted for 5 to 10 percent of that, or up to 1.6 billion. But an additional 6.8 billion doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have now been administered worldwide, greatly increasing the demand for injections, according to WHO estimates.

Vaccination syringes are different from those intended for other purposes. They usually have a mechanism that ensures they can only be used once.

According to estimates by the World Health Organization, manufacturers can produce about 6 billion of these syringes annually. She said the largest exporting countries are India and China. Next year’s demand may be four to seven times higher than the average demand in the pre-pandemic period.

If there are not enough syringes for the vaccine, Hedman said, it may be necessary to forego routine vaccinations such as measles, mumps and rubella.

insult