Veterans and civilians remember seeing the multi-dose vials that sat on top of the jet injectors that delivered mass vaccinations into their arms. Or that were used with unclean syringes or needles.

Were there early indications that jet injectors could spread pathogens? Sure. One example: JAMA published a 1988 account of a nasty bacteria transmission, by jet injector, in a podiatry practice.

The CDC author wrote,

” A jet injector used to administer lidocaine was held between procedures in a mixture of the distilled water and a disinfectant as recommended by the manufacturer. Inoculation of patients with mycobacteria by the jet injector may have only occurred early in the day due to slow killing of the bacteria by the disinfectant. The outbreak emphasizes the pathogenicity of this water-associated organism and the need for high-level disinfection of jet injectors.

Outbreak of Mycobacterium chelonae infection associated with use of jet injectors, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2362334/

Believe the science, brothers and sisters! Amen, amen?

Sure. Okay, then don’t suppress the results of experiments and studies whose results/conclusions the funders don’t like.

One can only resist reality for so long and Covid-19 is reviving safe injection issues. CDC knows that even with single-use disposable syringes, infection accidents are likely to occur during the Covid-era. The CDC is stepping up instructions of multi-dose vial hazards for providers who missed the class when they were in school.

https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/projectfirstline/resources/videos.html

The following excerpts are from recent CDC teaching materials: Click to access PFL-T6-SessionPlans-508.pdf

Sample Script
“One of the other key messages that we heard from Dr. Carlson is that
contaminated vaccines cannot be used. If a needle or syringe is reused or dirty
and goes into the vial, anything that’s on the needle or syringe will get into the
vial and contaminate the rest of the vaccine inside. If the vaccine is contaminated,
it can’t be used anymore, and it has to be thrown away. Why does this matter?”
(Pause for responses.)
“That’s right. If a multi-dose vial is contaminated by a used needle or syringe,
every patient who gets an injection from that vial after the contamination occurs
could get a disease like hepatitis or HIV. Some patients have even died from
hepatitis after getting a contaminated injection. If a contaminated vial is used,
public health authorities need to be notified right away. That’s because everyone
who got a dose from that vial has to be contacted and followed so that they
get the information about what happened and so they can be tested to find out
whether they got infected.

“Let’s review some of these actions. First, where should multi-dose vials be
prepared?” (Pause for responses. Trigger animation.) “That’s right. Always prepare
a multi-dose vial in a space that is clean and away from patients where you can
safely draw up the doses and prepare the vaccine. Never bring multi-dose vaccine
vials into patient care spaces, like a vaccination station where the patient is getting the shot or into a patient room.

“Remember that, before you touch any vials, clean your hands with alcohol-based
hand into the vial, especially the top area where or soap and water. This keeps the germs on your hands from getting into the vial you’re going to stick the needle in.”

Today, the CDC or VA has not, to my knowledge, done any tracking and testing for HIV, HCV or HBV based on the total lack of infection control for recruits who received dirty vaccinations in the past. The ability exists but political pressure around compensation, and other influences are much stronger than public health providers who have families to support.

by Laura (Guest author)