UN stocking 520 million syringes before COVID vaccine; 'enough to wrap around 1.5 Earths'

The United Nations plans to stockpile over one billion syringes around the world by the end of 2021, which will be used for the COVID-19 vaccine whenever it is rolled out. UNICEF, the UN Children's Fund, said by the end of this year, it will have over half a billion syringes pre-positioned so that they can be deployed quickly. These many syringes are enough to wrap around the world one and a half times, it added. 

UNICEF: 'Stockpiling syringes for COVID-19 vaccine'

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Speaking about stockpiling over 520 million syringes, UNICEF said that it guarantees an initial supply in all the countries ahead of COVID-19 vaccine. Director of UNICEF's supply division Eva Kadilli said that the world will need as many syringes as doses of vaccine. Apart from stockpiling syringes, UNICEF also plans to buy five million safety boxes for the used syringes. 

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UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore said that vaccinating people in the world against Coronavirus will be one of the largest mass undertakings in human history. 'We will need to move as quickly as the vaccines can be produced,' she added. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance that helps vaccinate half the world’s children against deadly and debilitating diseases said in a statement, 'By the end of the year, we will already have over half a billion syringes pre-positioned where they can be deployed quickly and cost-effectively.' 

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Gavi vaccine alliance-run 'Covax' will use these syringes and also reimburse UNICEF for the same. These syringes are to have a shelf life of 5 years and will be shipped to different countries via sea, whereas the vaccines themselves will have to be shipped via air as they are likely to be heat sensitive. Apart from these syringes, UNICEF would purchase over 620 million syringes for other vaccination programmes against diseases such as measles and typhoid. WHO reported that 42 candidates are currently being tested for the Covid vaccine, out of which 10 have already reached the final stage of the trial.  

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(With agency inputs)