Health Ministry: Needles of different types and colours used during vaccination process

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Needles of different types and colours will be used during the Covid-19 vaccination process as each serves a different need, says the Health Ministry (MOH).

It said that when withdrawing fluid from a vial for Covid-19 vaccination, a bigger blue-coloured needle is used to ensure smooth extraction.

The colour indicates the needle's bore size, with the blue one used to aspirate liquid from the vial while a smaller bore size needle (red or orange) is used for inoculation to ensure less pain and bruising, it said in a statement Thursday (Feb 25).

The MOH said that different needles are also used to prevent cross-contamination between patients.

"Importantly, the vaccine that is drawn from the vial and given to the patient is unchanged," it added.

Some who watched coverage of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin receiving his first Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shot, had commented that the Prime Minister could have been given another type of liquid as the colour of the needles used changed from blue to orange during the process. – Bernama