Storage at manufacturer recommended temperatures is essential for maintaining vaccine efficacy. Loss of potency can result from exposure to excessive heat, cold, and/or light. Once potency is lost, it cannot be regained. Administering ineffective vaccine puts patient and public health at risk of preventable disease.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) Vaccine Storage and Handling toolkit outlines CDC Recommendations, which outlines actions, practices and procedures to enhance the safety and protection of your vaccine supply. CDC encourages all vaccine providers to follow these guidelines.
CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit
The Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit is a comprehensive guide developed by the CDC to reflect best practices for vaccine storage and handling. The Vaccine toolkit is updated annually to account for advances in practices and program changes.
Providers participating in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program must pay extra attention to these guidelines and should consult their state or local immunization program for specific recommendations and requirements.
What Makes a Vaccine Refrigerator Special?
Vaccine refrigerators, also referred to as “pharmaceutical-grade” or purpose-built units, are designed and manufactured specifically for the storage of temperature sensitive vaccines. These units can be compact, under-the-counter style or large upright units.
Helmer Scientific offers a full range of pharmacy refrigerators and freezers with superior temperature uniformity, recovery and stability. Local alarms, event logging and continuous temperature monitoring help the pharmacy meet guidelines and regulations for vaccine storage.
Selecting Vaccine Storage Equipment
The CDC recommends the use of purpose-built or pharmaceutical-grade units designed to either refrigerate or freeze. The unit(s) chosen should include enough space to accommodate the facilities maximum inventory without crowding. Download our Best Practice Guide for Selecting Vaccine Refrigerators for a full list of what to look for when purchasing a new unit that will store vaccines.
Helping You Comply with CDC Guidelines
Safe and effective vaccine storage is an essential part of protecting the population from devastating disease. Providers are looking to the CDC Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit for essential information on proper storage, handling, monitoring, and administration of vaccines.
The risks related to improper vaccine storage are too profound to ignore. Ensure that your temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals, medications and vaccines are protected with professional, medical-grade refrigeration. At Helmer Scientific, we have been designing and manufacturing reliable, purpose-built refrigerators and freezers for over 15 years.
GX Solutions Professional, Medical-grade Vaccine Refrigerators
GX Solutions, professional, medical-grade pharmacy and vaccine refrigerators take cold storage to new levels. Focusing on temperature, noise and energy management, GX Solutions are the first cold storage solutions to optimize all three critical components of a superior vaccine refrigerator.
GX Solutions are powered by OptiCool™ technology which pairs variable capacity compressor (VCC) technology and natural hydrocarbons (HC) refrigerants to achieve performance characteristics that offer a superior vaccine storage environment:
- Optimized temperature management - (uniformity, recovery and stability)
- Noise levels lowered - 3X quieter than conventional medical-grade refrigerators
- Energy levels reduced - 50-65% more efficient than conventional medical-grade refrigerators
- Environmental sustainability initiatives supported.
Other Blogs You Might Be Interested In...
- CDC Vaccine Toolkit 2020: What’s New?
- Vaccine Storage: The Best of 2019
- Vaccine Refrigerator Best Practice Guides
- Where to Properly Place a Temperature Probe in Your Vaccine Refrigerator
For a complete list of Helmer GX Solutions Vaccine Refrigerators and Freezers, download our corresponding facts sheet at the link below. In addition, the sell sheet highlights the importance of proper vaccine storage as well as how to comply with CDC Guidelines.
