BD Discardit II syringe with needle, 2ml, made by Becton Dickinson S.A., in Spain, reference number 300318, lot number 2010118, date of expiry 2025-09, of the type used during COVID-19 vaccination work at University Hospital Coventry, England, 2020-2021.

Syringes are used to administer COVID-19 vaccines to people but are also used to prepare doses. Many of the vaccines in use in the United Kingdom came in bottles with multiple doses. Some vaccines such as the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine need to be diluted before use.

Vaccines needed to be frozen and/or refrigerated and could only be used for a limited time period after being prepared. Knowing the number of people attending appointments was crucial so vaccine waste was kept as low as possible. Arranging the items needed for vaccination including syringes, alcohol swabs, trays, sharps bins, and fridges is a huge logistical and manufacturing effort to ensure people have access to vaccines.

The UK COVID-19 vaccination programme started on 8 December 2020 with Matron May Parsons, administering then 90 year old Margaret Keenan’s first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine at University Coventry Hospital.