Needle shortage?

[108181]

I have seen a lot of posts lately about needles and thought that I should let you all know that here in the US there has been talk of a possible needle shortage due to the massive need for them for the (possible) virus vaccine. I don't know if that would apply to the UK but just a heads up. My husband injects me 3x/week since I have PA that went undiagnosed for years and I have nerve damage and neuropathy, so we bought 2 extra boxes of needles. Should last almost 2 years!!

[wedgewood]

Thank you for that tip . Yes it’s quite possible that a shortage will develop when a vaccine is found - Russia announced today that they have one already ! 👍

[fbirder in reply to wedgewood]

Yes. But the Russian vaccine will not be available in the UK, USA or EU. Because it hasn't gone through proper Phase III efficacy testing.

[wedgewood in reply to fbirder]

Yes , of course . Also I’ve been wondering what size needle is used to administer vaccines . I self-inject I.M. I have a feeling that vaccines might be injected sub-cut . Do you know how it’s done ?

[deniseinmilden in reply to wedgewood]

Vaccine administration routes include:

Oral route: administered by mouth

Subcutaneous route: injected into the area just beneath the skin into the fatty, connective tissue

Intramuscular route: injected into muscle tissue

Intradermal route: injected into layers of the skin

Intranasal route: administered into the nose

Generally vaccines are injected using 23 to 25 G needles between 5/8" and 1 & 1/2" long.

For several years now my 'flu jabs have been in individually packed, single use, preloaded needle and syringe combos. These are the easiest to use and, I think would be the preferred option for production, purely because they cut the opportunity for error, so that more technicians can be trained to give the vaccines.

You would hope (although not expect) manufacture of these would have been stepped up in anticipation.

Good point!

I'll check how many I have and may order some more, just in case!

(Makes more sense than stock-piling loo rolls!) 😁

[wedgewood in reply to deniseinmilden]

Thanks for that deniseinmilden. So we really do not know how the Covid 19 vaccine would be administerd . Better get some injection needles in stock I suppose ,whatever injection method we use.

[fbirder in reply to wedgewood]

I would imagine they would use the simplest delivery mechanism - IM injections.

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine is going to be supplied as a single-use kit, making it very simple to administer.

They'll be using this year's flu jabs as a trial run. 30 million of us will be offered the vaccine and I think over two-thirds are likely to take up the offer.

[wedgewood in reply to fbirder]

Thank-you fbirder .

[Hidden in reply to fbirder]

Would you take a flu vaccine now?

[fbirder in reply to Hidden]

Absolutely. I am always at the front of the queue, for two reasons. Plus an extra one this year.

I've had flu twice and it's terrible. Anything I can do to avoid it again I will do. Many people have never had it and have no idea what it's like. It's not a bad cold, it's being unable to walk from the bed to the loo.

I live with somebody who has been hospitalised twice for pneumonia. If she catches the flu it could kill her. She gets vaccinated, but just in case her's doesn't work mine might help stop her from catching it.

For this year, the last thing the NHS needs are hospital beds full of people with the flu. Forget clapping - get vaccinated.

[Hidden in reply to fbirder]

It’s not something I’ve ever had nor do I want to.I have had flu as bad as you say I had bird flu about ten years ago when my meds had to be given to a family member to be posted through the letterbox.no contact with surgery or family was allowed that was the worst bout.

About five years ago I kept getting pleurisy and had the worst cough I’d ever had,I don’t smoke,I think it was exposure to mould spores in a rental property that caused that as it stopped when I moved.

I’m not criticising you I just wondered If you did have it bearing in mind your field of work.Ive always been too scared to risk getting the vaccine.

[fbirder in reply to Hidden]

It's because of my field of work that I have the vaccine. It also helps that I've had to have typhoid, tetanus, rabies, yellow fever, hepatitis (A and B), diphtheria, pertussis and possibly a few more in the past.

[Hidden in reply to fbirder]

Rabies one must have been nasty.yes I get why you’d be safer to have them.i was told that anyone who’d previously had any kind of flu jab would test positive for Covid now how true would you say this is?

Have you started your triple therapy yet.?

[fbirder in reply to Hidden]

No, rabies was just the same as all the others. The vaccine isn't nasty. It's the antibodies they give you when you get bit that come on a giant syringe through the stomach wall.

I would say that it is 100% not true that a flu jab would make you test positive. For two reasons -

1. The flu virus and SARS-CoV-2 are totally different. They are as similar as a badger and a shark.

2. I've had several flu vaccines and I tested negative (twice) for covid-19.

No, I've not declared war on H. pylori yet. I don't want several days of the runs in this weather.

[Hidden in reply to fbirder]

Wise decision lol.

Thats interesting re flu vac. I just wondered how much was based on facts.

Yes your right re rabies jab I got too far ahead of myself didn’t I.

[fbirder in reply to Hidden]

It sounds like somebody has heard one possible fact and conflated it into nonsense.

There is some evidence that exposure to a different coronavirus (one of the ones that causes some cases of the common cold) can produce antibodies that are picked up in some of the antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2.

But having those antibodies cannot make you test positive for a current covid-19 infection (using the PCR test). Not can having the flu vaccine produce those antibodies.

[Hidden in reply to fbirder]

Thank you x

[Hidden in reply to deniseinmilden]

I am not so sure about your final sentence deniseinmilden as there are plenty of alternatives of loo rolls but I can’t see old newspapers standing in for hypodermic needles. 😂😂😂

[EllieMayNot]

Like you, I am in the US and have IM injections of B12 3x/week. May I ask where you order your needles from? I have already experienced difficulty when ordering replacements early on during the pandemic and am always looking for better pricing/sourcing options. Thank you!

[tradkita in reply to EllieMayNot]

Same here. I’d love to know where you get yours. I have a great doctor who prescribes me weekly, but I’m on the lookout for US sources of needles and B12 as insurance. I often need an extra jab.

I’ve considered trying hydroxo vs. cyano (see if it effects my neurological issues differently). If you get B12 in the US, which form is it? And do you source the needles from the same company? Thank you!

[108181 in reply to tradkita]

I mentioned that I get my prescription filled and get the needles from a local pharmacy here in Sarasota, Florida and I use the cyano. If I do less than 3 shots a week I can really tell the difference.

[108181 in reply to EllieMayNot]

We just get them from our local pharmacy but order them by the box. hope this helps.

[Whimzee26]

I bought a two year supply of needles and syringes as well. Live in USA. I just google search what I need 25g x 1” and compare prices

[stuart4112015]

Thanks..good to know..