Injection Safety
Offering a portfolio of auto-disable, reuse-prevention and sharps injury-protection injection devices.
Syringe reuse has been linked to transmission of HIV, hepatitis C and hepatitis B. In 1999, WHO and UNICEF began to address the spread of bloodborne diseases through reuse of needles and syringes by recommending that auto-disable syringes be used for all immunizations. Since that time, auto-disable syringes have become widely accepted by the international healthcare community. Most recently, with products such as the BD SoloShot™ mini syringe for immunizations as well as the BD Emerald™ PRO syringe used for curative injections, BD has also aimed to incorporate environmental stewardship into the essence of reuse prevention. The BD Emerald™ Saf-T syringe offers environmental benefits while helping prevent accidental needlestick injuries.
BD has also been a strong advocate for policies and guidelines, such as the recent WHO guideline on the use of safety-engineered syringes for intramuscular, intradermal and subcutaneous injections in healthcare settings, which help protect healthcare workers and patients from the spread of disease.
BD devices have been used in some of the world's most critical vaccination campaigns:
BD has partnered with the American Red Cross for the Measles initiative, a program aimed at eliminating measles deaths completely. Through the program, BD has helped train healthcare professionals to deliver the measles vaccine using BD SoloShot™ auto-disable immunization syringes. BD SoloShot™ syringes are ideal for vaccination campaigns because they automatically disable after injection, which prevents reuse and the potential spread of infectious diseases. BD provides substantial product donations to meet public health needs such as these.
BD SoloShot™ syringes are used in mass vaccination campaigns in sub-Saharan Africa, conducted by WHO, UNICEF, the International Committee of the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. These immunization campaigns help prevent the onset of meningitis, a disease that can lead to severe neurological damage.
BD has partnered with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to protect newborn children and their mothers from tetanus. The BD Uniject™ auto-disable pre-fillable injection system used in this campaign has unique features that make it ideal for safely administering the tetanus toxoid vaccine in the most remote regions of the world.