Vaccine Cold Storage Rooms - How They Work and are Maintained
Vaccine Storage and Handling
Vaccines and other medical products are essential parts of a healthy society. They provide relief from diseases and suffering. They are designed to improve the quality of life for people. As with any other product, they are manufactured in facilities located near urban centers.
When shipped elsewhere, transportation is provided by a cold chain process in place to safeguard the quality of the medical products. Typically, cold chain operations employ of refrigeration units to maintain ideal conditions for vaccines or other life science products.
Vaccine Cold Chain
The purpose of the vaccine cold chain is to maintain product quality from the production of the product until the point of administration, by guaranteeing that vaccines are stored and transported within World Health Organization (WHO) recommended temperature ranges.
The cold chain is sometimes also known as the vaccine supply chain, or the immunization supply chain. The cold chain consists of various links that are designed to keep vaccines within WHO-recommended temperature ranges. Following this strategy ensures that cold chain performance is properly monitored and that necessary information is gathered for vaccine quality forecasting.
A cold chain is a temperature-controlled supply chain that includes all vaccine-related equipment and procedures. The cold chain begins with the cold storage unit at the manufacturing plant, extends to the transport and delivery of the vaccine and proper storage at the provider facility, and ends with the administration of the vaccine to the patient.
In order to maintain a reliable vaccine cold chain at the optimum level, the following key protocols must be followed:
- Store vaccines and diluents within the required temperature range at all sites
- pack and transport vaccines to and from outreach sites according to recommended procedures
- keep vaccines and diluents within recommended cold chain conditions during immunization sessions.