WHO says gloves are not needed to vaccinate against COVID-19

The World Health Organization (WHO) pointed out that the people in charge of inoculating the vaccines against COVID-19 do not need to use disposable gloves, as in vaccination for any other disease, which would reduce the gigantic amount of sanitary waste. that the pandemic has generated and that in most poor countries they are not treated adequately.

The WHO recommendations on immunization campaigns against COVID-19 already indicate that gloves are not necessary, despite which they are used in many countries, just like protective suits, which are not essential either.

Waste from health facilities has increased tenfold after the pandemic, declared a sanitation specialist at the who, Maggie Montgomery, who has been the main person in charge of a report published by the organization in relation to the waste caused by the pandemic.

Disposable gloves represent a greater volume than masks in the total of this waste, although the supplies used in vaccination begin to occupy a predominant place, with more than 10.1 billion doses administered to date.

Montgomery He said that ceasing to use gloves to vaccinate could help reduce the waste of the pandemic considerably, especially considering “that are not an essential element” to avoid contamination, since it has been proven that contagion occurs through invisible particles that float in the air.

The use of gloves is recommended when there is any risk of contagion with body fluids, he specified.

The problem is serious, especially in countries with fewer resources, where before the pandemic two out of three health facilities lacked the means to separate and treat garbage. “We can imagine what this waste represents for staff and communities today”, commented the expert.

The data indicates that, in general, 80% of the waste in a health center is not a source of infection, but if it is not separated from the rest, it can contaminate everything.

“And this analysis does not consider waste related to the pandemic that is produced outside the health sector, but if you think about what each person produces, in particular masks, you can understand the magnitude of the problem.”, he added Montgomery.

The masks produced in 2020 alone accounted for an additional six million tons of waste, it said.

Among the recommendations offered by the who There is the use of items that can be safely reused, such as multi-layer reusable masks capable of retaining very small particles.