Quality requirements of vaccine storage

The quality requirements for the storage of the vaccines have been tightened to ensure that vaccines are stored under the correct conditions. It is important for the quality of the vaccines that the vaccines are placed in the refrigerator in the original packaging as soon as possible after delivery and at the latest within 1 hour.

Below are the quality requirements that must be met for the storage of ALL vaccines, both flu and pneumococcal vaccines. The vaccine must be properly stored to maintain efficacy. By meeting the quality requirements, you can guarantee that the vaccines will maintain their effectiveness.

For the pneumococcal vaccine you should immediately meet the quality requirements, because the pneumococcal vaccine is less stable than the flu vaccine. You must also observe the quality requirements for the flu vaccine. You have three years to organize this for this.

Quality requirements for storage of vaccines:

• Store between 2 ° C and 8 ° C
• Do not store food in the refrigerator where vaccines and medicines are stored
• Refrigerator or room in which the refrigerator is located can be locked
• The refrigerator does not contain a freezer compartment
• The refrigerator does not have storage compartments in the door
• A calibrated temperature logger logs the temperature trend in the refrigerator
• This logger is periodically read
• The thermometer / logger used has been calibrated and is periodically recalibrated or replaced with another calibrated logger
• The temperature distribution (distribution) inside the refrigerator with the door closed is maximum ± 2 ° C.
• However, the temperature should be between 2 ° C and 8 ° C at all points in the refrigerator at all times
• There is sufficient cooling capacity to keep the vaccines between 2 ° C and 8 ° C.
  
  

There are a number of other features that optimize the quality of the storage, but are not obligatory:

• In the event of a power failure, the refrigerator can maintain the temperature between 2 ° C and 8 ° C at a room temperature of up to 30 ° C with the door closed for at least one hour.
• When the set temperature range is exceeded, the logger or refrigerator gives a visual and / or audio alarm and / or an SMS message is sent.
• The refrigerator temperature setting can be set at intervals of 0.5 ° C.
  
  

A few more practical tips:

Avoid repeatedly putting vaccines in and out of the refrigerator. This prevents ambiguity about how long vaccines have been out of the refrigerator and uncertainty about the quality of vaccines. Moreover, frequent opening of the refrigerator is not good for maintaining a constant temperature.
Do not leave vaccines out of the refrigerator for too long. During vaccination consultations, remove the unpacked vaccines in portions from the refrigerator.
When visiting, take the vaccines with you in a cool box with cooling elements. You have to take care of this yourself, as cool boxes are no longer supplied with the vaccines.
If the vaccines have been stored below 2 ° C, you must always complete the interrupted cold chain notification form.