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PROTECTING VACCINES DURING AN EMERGENCY POWER OUTAGE

How to Understand, Assess, and Select the Best Emergency Power Solution

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Backup power is a requirement for any Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) and a critical safety consideration for every Office-Based Surgery (OBS) environment. With an aging and strained electrical grid, power outages are more common than ever. Natural disasters, severe weather, and utility failures are among the leading causes of these events.
Without reliable power, the ability to run critical operating room equipment is lost, exposing patients to alarming risk. An emergency backup power system can eliminate this risk by supplying power long enough to finish the procedure safely and relocate the patient. However, the dangerous design and installation of an emergency backup power system can come with troubles. It requires understanding multiple codes and regulations, and ensuring compliance with the right ones can be overwhelming. Besides, we have observed that no single party fully understands every aspect of the required standby power system. As a result, designed systems often become oversized, costing much more than necessary, or undersized and failing to meet regulations. We hope to share our extensive knowledge with you so that all parties can collaborate to optimize the most practical system for the requirement. The purpose of this guide is to simplify this process into a document that engineers, architects, physicians, and consultants can all find useful.
HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN FIND WITHIN THIS GUIDE:
HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN FIND WITHIN THIS GUIDE:
  • Challenges & Threats to Vaccine Storage
  • Solutions for Supporting Your Refrigerated Pharmaceuticals During a Power Outage
  • Why Battery Backup is the Most Viable Solution
Learn more about Vaccine Storage Protection with our “Vaccine Storage Emergency Planning Guide”
CLICK HERE TO READ
CHALLENGES & THREATS TO VACCINE STORAGE
  • CDC Guidelines for Vaccine Storage and Monitoring – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) specifies how vaccines should be stored to ensure their efficacy and durability. Our guide begins with a look at seven of the storage and monitoring guidelines detailed in the CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit. This includes obligations surrounding the use of purpose-built cold storage units and the temperature ranges required for vaccine storage. Understanding storage requirements under the Toolkit presents a valuable start point for developing a vaccine handling and storage plan.
  • The Cold Chain Background – The CDC advises that maintaining vaccine potency and longevity begins with an effective vaccine cold chain. Vaccines have to travel a long way from their point of production to final destination, which can include some of the most remote places on Earth. What is the vaccine cold chain and what are the responsibilities involved in maintaining the cold chain? Our flowchart-style diagram helps visualize the distance vaccines must often travel and the challenges of ensuring an unbroken cold chain.
  • How Power Outages Affect the Cold Chain – Power outages are one of the most disruptive, yet most prevalent causes of breaks in the vaccine cold chain. The US electrical grid is outdated and overburdened, having been designed in the early 50s and intended to last just 50 years. This section explains how the electrical grid is ill-equipped to support an uninterrupted vaccine cold chain and where the challenges from the power sector often occur. We also outline how power outages may compromise the cold chain
  • Weather Causing Increased Power Outages – Extreme, and even routine, weather events are one of the leading causes of failures in the power grid. But to what extent are they a threat to vaccine storage? Are we seeing more severe weather events compared to the past few years, and how can we prepare for the risk that these weather events pose? This section outlines the role of weather events in cold chain disruptions and includes charts that visualize the increasing trend of costly weather and climate events.
  • Why Wait for Disaster to Strike? – With the combination of a sensitive vaccine cold chain and an unpredictable electrical grid, it is almost certain that storage problems will arise. Where will these challenges intrude, and what steps can we take to limit or forestall damage from happening? CDC guidelines suggest that each practice should have a backup plan in the event of a power outage. This section leads into the next which discusses the four major types of backup plans and how they might work best for your practice or facility.
SOLUTIONS FOR SUPPORTING YOUR REFRIGERATED PHARMACEUTICALS DURING A POWER OUTAGE
  • Transporting Vaccines During Power Outages – Does it make sense to attempt to move your vaccines during a power outage? Although using a vaccine transport vehicle might help move your vaccine cache to a better powered facility, how will the transportation affect vaccine potency? What are the pros and cons of a vaccine transport vehicle? How does this option compare with others regarding cost and vaccine integrity? This section explores the merits and limitations of a vaccine transport vehicle and the competencies required to pull this off successfully.
  • Using an Ice Lined Refrigerator to Endure an Extended Outage – An ice-lined refrigerator minimizes transporting vaccines during an extended outage. But does it provide a better option than other backup vaccine storage methods? What happens if you are facing a longer power outage than you expect? We analyze the pros and cons of using an ice-lined refrigerator here, including what such an option needs to function and the potential challenges of using this backup method. If you are considering the merits of this approach, then this section is a must-read.
  • Installing a Fuel Powered Generator to Support Your Appliances – Rather than trusting a non-powered backup option for your vaccine storage, you might choose to generate your own power instead through a backup power source. Fuel-powered generators can help you maintain the cool temperatures needed to store your vaccines. But will this option make sense for you? Here, we provide an overview of this backup option, including the advantages and limitations of using a fuel-powered generator for your vaccine storage.
  • Using Battery Backup System to Support Your Refrigerators & Freezers – Without the burden to replenish fuel stores or devote a large space for installation, a battery backup system has its advantages over other backup plans for vaccine storage. However, there are many considerations to determine whether this option can meet your vaccine storage needs, especially in maintenance, capacity, and longevity. Read this section to understand the pros and cons of using a battery backup system and the obligations such a choice represents.

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Learn more about Vaccine Storage Protection with our "Vaccine Storage Emergency Planning Guide"

CLICK HERE TO READ

Learn more about Vaccine Storage Protection with our "Vaccine Storage Emergency Planning Guide"

CLICK HERE TO READ

Let Us Assist You With Your Backup Power Needs!

WHY BATTERY BACKUP IS THE MOST VIABLE SOLUTION
  • Common Questions About Battery Backup Power – In our experience, many practices and facilities choose a battery backup power system to protect their refrigerated pharmaceuticals. You might have questions about how such an option will fare, especially considering concerns around the capacity of battery power systems and how long they can hold a charge. People also want to know if lithium ion batteries are a part of Mediproducts backup power systems. This section answers the most common questions we have been asked about battery backup systems.
  • How to Select the Right Battery Backup System – Battery backup systems come in all sizes and power capabilities, and Mediproducts offers a variety of these. How do you decide which solution is right for your facility? This section explains the different considerations to consider as you explore your battery backup system options. Some points include the required runtime, power needs, installation, and temperature monitoring capabilities.
  • Can You Afford to Not Take Action? – What is the cost of not having a backup plan for your vaccine storage? The costs can vary depending on the value of your vaccine holdings and the amount of time that your cache was left without power. We have researched the financial loss that a power outage can represent, and in this section, we present the numbers from our findings. Lapses in temperature levels and power cuts can result in significant costs for facilities. Read this section to learn just how high these figures can go.
  • Enjoy the Safeguard & Peace of Mind with a Battery Backup Power System – Learn about the proprietary features that Mediproducts emergency battery systems include to protect your vaccine cache. The goal of our backup power systems is to ensure that your vaccine stores enjoy an unbroken supply of power, even with an erratic electrical grid. This section outlines how you can benefit from our systems and how they protect your facility and investment.
  • Moving Forward with Your Backup Plan – If you do not already have a backup plan to protect your vaccines, there’s no better time to start than now. Have you made a decision on which backup plan meets your requirements? Use this summing-up section to reevaluate the significant points we have shared as you move forward with your backup strategy. If you have decided to invest in one of our battery power systems, learn how to get started here.
  • Ensure Patient Safety as You Realize ROI – Vaccine cold chain requirements are already tough enough, but they can get even tougher. Mediproducts has been designing, manufacturing, installing, and maintaining battery backup systems for years and we know how to help you get through even the toughest cold chain requirements. Use this section to find how you can contact us for a virtual power assessment or calculate your potential savings with our online calculator.

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