The COVID-19 vaccine rollout is the biggest immunization program in human history. As the global community —PATH included— work to vaccinate at least 70 percent of the world against COVID-19 by the end of 2022, a shortage of upwards of 1 billion syringes puts this goal in jeopardy.
While vaccine development occurred at a remarkable rate, we might not have enough syringes to get shots into arms. If we don't close this gap, doses could go unused, expiring in refrigerators.
This shortage of safe injection supply will primarily affect low- and middle-income countries, threatening to stall not only COVID-19 vaccination but also life-saving childhood immunization programs—efforts that were already interrupted by the pandemic. In 2020 alone, more than 7 million African children missed vital first doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, measles, and polio vaccines.
“These injustices must be brought to an end. Everyone deserves a healthy life, but far too many lack access to the vaccines and essential health services that make healthy lives possible.”— Nanthalile Mugala, PATH's Chief of the Africa Region
PATH is advancing vaccine equity
With support from donors like you, we can accelerate vaccine and syringe production and access, to finally end the acute phase of the pandemic.