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LONDON, Mar 15 (Reuters Health) - In an effort to prevent the spread of infections such as hepatitis B and HIV, UK drug company GlaxoSmithKline is to supply developing countries with syringes that can be used only once, the company said on Thursday.
The "auto-disable" syringes, developed by US manufacturer UNIVEC, are designed so that once the plunger is depressed, it locks in position and cannot be pulled back for further use.
GlaxoSmithKline said the syringes will be used for all vials of liquid vaccines for children in developing countries. The program will begin this month and will extend to regions including Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
The firm, which sold over 1.1 billion vaccine doses in 2000, claims to be the first manufacturer to take this life-saving initiative.
It is WHO-UNICEF policy that auto-disable syringes should be the equipment of choice both in routine immunisation and in mass vaccination campaigns.
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