After using six-shot syringes initially, and later switching to the more widely available five-shot syringes during its vaccination drive, Japan will now allow hospitals to administer Covid-19 vaccine using insulin syringes, which can extract seven shots per vial.
 
Kyodo News reported today that the move comes as the country's vaccine rollout grapples with a supply shortage owing to production delays at Pfizer's factory in Belgium and export controls by the European Union.

It quoted Taro Kono, minister in charge of the country's vaccination efforts, as saying that the government will look into procuring insulin syringes "if there is a surplus" and it does not affect supply for diabetes patients.

"Last week, Uji-Tokushukai Medical Center in Kyoto Prefecture, western Japan, said it had found that insulin syringes, which do not have as much dead space meaning less fluid is left in the needle after a shot, could be used to extract seven shots of the Pfizer vaccine per vial. Insulin syringes are designed for subcutaneous injections rather than the intramuscular injections necessary for Covid-19 vaccines, and therefore have shorter needles. This means they may not work for some people, for example those with more fat on their arms," it reported.

The government's top spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, said it would be up to hospitals to ensure the vaccines are administered properly, and that the government does not plan to actively advocate the use of insulin syringes.