2022 World Health Organization warns of a massive shortage of syringes in

The World Health Organization warned Tuesday that a shortage of medical syringes could reach two billion in 2022, threatening to put a brake on vaccine efforts worldwide if production does not improve.

This shortage is caused by immunization campaigns against Covid-19, as the use of syringes has increased by billions more than usual all over the world, which negatively affects global supplies.

As the supply of COVID-19 vaccines increases, the supply of syringes must keep up, said WHO official Lisa Hedman.

"There is a real concern that there may be a shortage of syringes for vaccination, which in turn will lead to serious problems, such as slowing down immunization efforts," she told reporters.

So far, more than 7.25 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered globally, according to an AFP count.

This number is equivalent to twice the number of routine vaccinations given annually, and therefore twice the number of syringes was used.

Hedman noted that one serious consequence of the shortage of syringes could be delays in routine immunizations, which could have a public health impact "for years to come" if a generation of young people miss out on regular childhood vaccinations.

Also, shortages can also lead to the unsafe practice of reusing syringes and needles.

Hedman urged countries to plan their syringe needs ahead of time to avoid monopolistic and panic buying.

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