The CDC now requires VFC providers to use continuous temperature monitoring devices for storing vaccines in medical office refrigerators.
These devices must be calibrated and include a valid NIST or ISO calibration certificate. Additionally, they must meet the following specifications:
- The monitor must display the current temperature along with the minimum and maximum values. Staff must record these Min/Max readings twice daily.
- The display must be visible from outside the vaccine refrigerator or freezer.
- The data logger must allow temperature data to be downloaded, with records captured at 15-minute intervals, and maintain accuracy within ±1 °F.
- The device’s memory should hold at least 4,000 readings.
- When full, the device must automatically overwrite the oldest data to accommodate new entries.
Several manufacturers offer VFC-compliant data loggers incorporating modern features to simplify operations:
- SensoScientific provides a user-friendly unit that syncs with a cloud-based database, enabling secure and convenient retrieval of stored temperature logs.
- InTemp by Onset supplies a sophisticated system featuring a smartphone app (available via Google Play and the App Store) that connects via Bluetooth. It includes a 3-year ISO 17025 calibration certificate.
- TraceableLIVE® offers a Wi-Fi–enabled device, allowing data access from both your smartphone and desktop, through a cloud application requiring no additional software.
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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
