Syringe shortage an alarming development

A recent alarming news report went practically unnoticed: “Syringe shortage looms; LGUs told to be ‘creative’,” News, 11/13/21). No less than the World Health Organization was said to have called attention to the problem: “Shortages could lead to the unsafe practice of reusing syringes and needles since harmful bacteria will remain even after sterilization.”

With our Department of Health telling local government units to be more “creative” pending the arrival of new supplies, which are uncertain in view of the “global shortage” (this country is by no means the world manufacturers’ priority), the directive could easily translate to the use of syringes and needles not originally intended for COVID-19 jabs — and worse, to the recycling of those already used for COVID-19. That kind of “creativeness” is not beneath this government, which has grown blasé to cheating in whatever shape, form, or manner.

So, what’s the rush to “mandate compulsory vaccination” in the face of such a shortage? And why are all the discriminatory protocols and sanctions already in place against unvaccinated citizens, when more than half of at least 100 million Filipinos have not been vaccinated?

ANGELIO O. MARCONI
[email protected]