Image Credit: healthygallatin.org
Last week, Helmer was a bronze sponsor of the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) national meeting in Charleston, South Carolina. The meeting provided lively discussion around the role of the immunization manager, as well as the priorities, challenges, and the unknowns managers are facing. Immunization managers are taking on increasing amounts of responsibility as they manage program stewardship and accountability, program performance, access to vaccines, immunization technology infrastructure, and improving/maintaining preparedness.
The 2016 AIM survey asked Immunization Managers their main priorities for the upcoming year. The following were the top six priorities in the immunization community:
- Increase HPV vaccination rates
- Implement PPHF grants
- Improve VFC accountability
- Identify and address coverage rates
- Implement meaningful use/interoperability
- Improve vaccine storage and handling
Two of the top six priorities focus on the proper storage of vaccines. This has been an increasing priority in the last couple years due to increased pressure from the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, as well as the CDC’s vaccine storage and handling toolkit which also applies to non-VFC providers.
Medical-grade cold storage is essential to ensuring the efficacy and safety of refrigerated and frozen vaccines. Vaccines stored at out of range temperatures may prove ineffective resulting in the need for revaccination. In worst cases, vaccines which were stored inappropriately are administered and the need for revaccination goes unnoticed leaving that person at risk of contracting a preventable disease. Moreover, the financial hardship of disposing inappropriately stored vaccines can be tremendous. Practices and warehouses are storing anywhere from $2,000-$50,000 dollars’ worth of vaccines and that type of hit directly impacts the bottom line.
The Association of Immunization Managers was created in 1999 to enable immunization managers to work together to effectively prevent and control vaccine-preventable diseases and improve immunization coverage in the United States and its territories. As a proud AIM alliance member and Helmer shares the goal of helping enhance vaccine storage across the country.
Looking for a resource to share with your practices? Download our one page guide to selecting vaccine refrigerators and freezers.
