By Clinton Ochieng
A 3 Shillings syringe will be delivering the Covid-19 vaccine shot to millions of Kenyans scheduled to get the vaccination of hope.
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is planning to buy 1 billion syringes for countries participating in the Covax facility by the end of 2021. The syringes will be of the Auto-Disable (AD) type, approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“AD syringes are recommended for immunization programs because they are designed to prevent re-use by locking automatically after a single-use,” reads a section of the report.
The syringes specifically meant to administer Covid-19 vaccines are meant to ensure that people receive shots safely, without risk of contracting infections, attributed to contaminated needles.
The syringes are similar to those acquired by UNICEF for vaccination of children globally, against six killer diseases namely, polio, measles, tuberculosis (TB), diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough.
In a statement, UNICEF noted that AD syringes were already available and affordable and declared that they should be the device of choice for administering vaccines in both routine services and during mass campaigns.
Kenya is among countries that have received vaccines, under the Covax facility. The vaccination program was rolled out on Friday (March 5, 2021), at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Administration of the Oxford/AstraZeneca shot is Intramuscular (IM) injection, unlike others that are subcutaneously administered which are administered below the skin, in between the skin and the fat layer.
READ: Kenyans Reluctant In Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake