FDA advises against Chinese-made syringes citing safety issues

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday advised health care providers against using certain syringes and needles manufactured by the China-based medical device company Guangdong Haiou Medical Apparatus Co, citing patient safety concerns.

According to Reuters, the FDA received information about functional issues including incidents of needles breaking off and getting stuck in patients’ arms as well as accidental injuries.

A pharmacist confirmed to Reuters that syringes made by the company have been shipped to use with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. However, an FDA spokesperson said that the products have ceased shipment as of March 22.

The syringe and needle combinations the agency recommends against using are the 1mL syringe with 25Gx 1-inch needle and the mL syringe with 23G x 1-inch needle, Reuters reports. Use of these medical devices should be halted until further notice.

The government agency added that it does not believe that the halting of these shipments will cause a delay in vaccinations. 

The news about the syringes comes as the agency announced on Thursday that it would allow for longer storage times of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in normal refrigeration temperatures.

Thawed vaccine doses may now be stored for up to a month instead of the original five days.

The news also comes as the Biden administration continues to encourage unvaccinated Americans to receive their inoculations. President Biden announced a July 4 goal to have 70 percent of U.S. adults receive at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. 

More than 60 percent of U.S. adults have received at least one shot of a coronavirus vaccine, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracker.