The cold Chain and your vaccines

 Public Health nurses inspect facilities that contain publicly funded vaccines to ensure they are compliant. They provide education, training and recommendations to maintain optimal practices.

How can facilities meet the mandatory requirements for Vaccine Storage and Handling?
Facilities must meet all three requirements in order to be deemed compliant: 

• Maintain vaccine fridge temperature between +2° C to +8° C
• Record fridge temperatures twice daily in a log book or with a data logger
• Keep Vaccine Storage and Handling Guidelines and materials on site and post a magnet on the fridge to indicate that only vaccines are stored there.

Why is it necessary to record vaccine refrigerator temperatures twice a day?
Recording the minimum and maximum temperatures at the beginning of the day, before the vaccine refrigerator has been opened, tracks temperatures reached overnight. The second reading taken at the end of the day, tracks temperatures reached during the day.

What temperature recording devices are recommended?
Two different types of temperature recording devices are currently recommended: digital thermometers or data loggers.

A digital thermometer is a “max/min” thermometer that accurately records the highest and lowest temperatures reached since the thermometer was last reset. For this reason, a digital thermometer must be read twice a day and reset after each reading. 

The temperature probe should be positioned correctly in the middle of the fridge with the probe placed in a vaccine box. A dislodged probe can create a drastic change in temperature readings. The batteries of the thermometer should be changed twice annually.

A data logger is a new temperature recording device that provides accuracy and recording ease for busy medical offices.  The features of this device include:

For all you vaccine/drug/laboratory fridges:  www.medstore.ie