In June 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published an 82-page toolkit titled “Vaccine Storage & Handling Toolkit.” This document outlines recommendations derived from scientific research, vaccine producers, and industry best practices. Its aim is to support patient safety, prevent the needless waste of costly vaccines, protect vaccine availability, and clarify guidelines for proper vaccine storage.

The CDC toolkit emphasizes maintaining the “vaccine cold chain,” which refers to preserving correct temperature controls from the manufacturer all the way through to administration. Ensuring consistent handling and storage across every link in the cold chain is vital to vaccine effectiveness.

If vaccines are exposed to excessive cold, heat, or light at any point during transportation or storage, their potency may be compromised. Ultimately, degradation of potency could render a vaccine completely ineffective.

To mitigate these risks, the CDC recommends using temperature monitoring devices for both refrigerators and freezers used in vaccine storage. It also advises conducting twice-daily temperature checks on this equipment.

However, the guidance notes that refrigeration units aren’t infallible. Failures may occur due to power outages, normal wear and tear, or mechanical breakdowns—making it essential to have contingency measures in place.

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To answer even more of your questions and find additional solutions to problems that could affect your medical facility or laboratory, check out these other articles from the EverSafe blog and the EverSafe Learning Center