[Question #8151] HIV risk

48 months ago

Dear experts,

2 months ago I got my first vaccine against covid 19 in INDIA (covishield).

During the vaccination process, I forget to notice the doctor taking a new syringe for the vaccination (I got vaccinated in a government organization vaccination camp with the help of final year college students), however, some of my friends told me AD syringes are used for covid 19 vaccination & that cannot be reused.

Today, I come to know from some pictures at the vaccination camp they used NIPRO 1ml sterile hypodermic syringe for single use.

Now I have some question

1. Is it possible to reuse 1ml sterile hypodermic syringe for single use

2. What is the chance of the nurse accidentally reused the needle/syringe.

3. For some of your old posts in MedHelp I understand all anesthetics and other injectable medications have preservatives that would kill HIV and other viruses or bacteria. Is this applicable for covishield vaccination.

4. Is a test required for me

Edward W. Hook M.D.

48 months ago

Welcome to our forum and thanks for your questions. We receive many questions regarding the possibility of acquiring HIV or other blood-borne infections through reuse of contaminated needles. The fact is that healthcare providers throughout the world are highly trained and would not reuse needles for injections. While HIV can be acquired when individuals share needles in the course of using illegal drugs, this does not happen in medical or clinical settings. That’s in answer to your specific questions:

1. There are many types of syringes and needles. In North America there are specific single use needles designed for administration of vaccines such as the vaccine for Covid 19. There are some needles however which could, theoretically, be reused. As mentioned above this would not be normal practice in any responsible clinical setting. I would have no concerns that needles were being reused in Indian healthcare facilities.

2. The chance of a nurse or other clinician accidentally reusing a needle is virtually zero. Healthcare providers go through years of training and regular retraining to ensure that they use proper technique and that needles are used only a single time and then disposed of.

3. Survival of bacteria and viruses in products made for vaccination and other medical administration would be unlikely. Bacteria and viruses require special circumstances with appropriate temperatures and appropriate levels of Saline and other chemicals to survive. I would not worry about contamination of vaccine with HIV.

4. Nothing about the circumstance that you described above suggest any need whatsoever for an HIV test. I urge you not to worry and to be glad that you have received the COVID-19 vaccine.

Take care. EWH

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48 months ago

Thanks for your reply

Some follow-up question

1. 1. Point number 3,

Is my understanding is correct, If at all the Healthcare providers made a mistake and somehow used a contaminated needle for vaccination, there would be no risk, since HIV dies mixed with vaccination.

2. 2. From the available data is anyone got STDs/HIV from an injection in medical or clinical settings.

3. 3. how come blood/ HIV virus enters into the needle while injecting someone & what is the chance it remains inside the needle or syringe after the injection.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

48 months ago

Thanks for your follow up questions. Straight to my replies:

1. There are no scientific or experimental data to answer this hypothetical question. I would remind you however that there are no cases in which the scenario you describe has been proven to occur. Any survival of HIV in contaminated vaccine or other material in a bottle used for injection would be most unlikely.

2. I am not aware of any scientific data describing the situation that you suggest as having occurred.

3. You raise an important point. If material from the syringe is being injected into a person than the amount of blood which might be caught in the middle following the injection would be a tiny, tiny fraction of the volume of the needle.

I really think you are worrying far too much. EWH

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