Management of Syringe Supplies During the National Covid-19 Vaccination Program

The syringes are essential part of logistics required to administer the vaccines under UIP as well as for Covid-19 vaccination. In UIP, three types of syringes were being used, namely, 0.1 and 0.5 ml auto-disable syringes (AD syringes) for administration of the vaccine and 5 ml disposable syringes for reconstitution of those vaccines with diluents, which are supplied in freeze-dried, powdered form. As the dose of the available Covid-19 vaccines was 0.5 ml, 0.5 ml AD syringes were used to administer the Covid-19 vaccine. The syringes were used from the stocks available for administering the UIP vaccines initially. However, the demand forecasting for the syringe requirement was done combining the demand of both UIP and Covid-19 vaccines using an Excel-based tool, named A to Z sheet. There was finite domestic manufacturing capacity of 0.5 ml AD syringes in the country and with spiraling demand for syringes due to the rapidly increasing availability of Covid-19 vaccines and improving implementation structures at ground across the country, we were staring at the disruption of the vaccination drive. A major policy decision to waive of the requirement to provide 0.5 ml AD syringes only for vaccination program and permit and procure disposable syringes of the denominations from 0.5 to 3 ml for use in Covid-19 vaccination program was taken. The daily virtual meetings with syringe manufacturers to keep tab on supplies, tapping UNICEF to procure syringes from other countries, partial export ban for 0.5 ml AD syringes, and close monitoring of the syringes supply chain up to the district level and sometimes up to the vaccination points through e VIN and daily virtual meetings with concerned state officials ensured the success for the program.