During a nationwide measles-rubella immunization campaign in Peru (2006), the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and PATH introduced 500,000 automatic retractable syringes in Lima and Cuzco to assess user acceptability, perceived safety, and effects on waste management.
User acceptance & ease: 97% of vaccinators rated the retractable syringe as easy to use, and 84% considered it easier or equally easy compared to standard disposable syringes.
Needle retraction reliability: 67% said the needle always retracted, 13% “usually,” 17% “sometimes,” and 3% said “never”; observed misfires were often due to incomplete plunger depression (user technique) rather than device defect.
Efficiency in workflow: 88% of respondents reported that the combined injection + disposal time was the same or faster using the retractable device; 12% felt it was slower.
Safety perceptions: All participants saw the major benefit being enhanced safety for vaccinators, waste handlers, and the community.
Waste management improvements: Use of retractable syringes simplified sharps waste handling, reduced reliance on jerry cans, and potentially lowered risk for waste handlers.
Training importance: Prior training was critical for correct use. Some retraction failures were linked to inadequate user technique rather than mechanism failure.
During a nationwide measles-rubella immunization campaign in Peru (2006), the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and PATH introduced 500,000 automatic retractable syringes in Lima and Cuzco to assess user acceptability, perceived safety, and effects on waste management. Vaccinators, coordinators, and waste handlers provided feedback via surveys and focus groups. Overall, retractable syringes were well accepted, perceived as safe and reliable, and led to simplification in sharps disposal. Some users reported occasional non-retraction, typically linked to technique, not device failure. The retractable devices also reduced dependence on bulk waste containers (jerry cans) and were seen as beneficial for protecting waste handlers. Training and supervised rollout were key enablers of success.
PATH (October 2008) — PATH’s summary of operational research in Peru on retractable syringes in the context of an immunization campaign
