
COVAX-INITIATIVE

On 21 February 2021, UNICEF staff Rafik ElOuerchefani is photographed next to pallets of auto-disable syringes at a warehouse in Dubai Logistics City, United Arab Emirates.
In all, UNICEF will be supplying up to 1 billion syringes and 10 million safety boxes to countries in 2021 to ensure they are ready for COVID-19 vaccinations. In order to meet the demand for these vital supplies, UNICEF created a stockpile of almost half a billion syringes in its warehouses in Copenhagen and Dubai in preparation for the broader rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in 82 low- and lower middle-income countries. These shipments will support the country rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, and is part of work by the COVAX Facility to provide vaccines to low- and lower middle-income countries. The 0.5 ml syringes are being dispatched from UNICEF’s humanitarian warehouse in Dubai, while the 0.3 ml & 2 ml syringes will be transported directly from a manufacturer in Spain. The consignments will also include safety boxes for the safe disposal of syringes. Both syringes are of the auto-disable type, which means they cannot be used again after a single dose of vaccine has been administered. This reduces the risk of infection from blood-borne diseases as a result of syringe re-use.
© Copyright UNICEF 2021 / UN0419485