Packing Vaccines for Transport during Emergencies

Distributed by Visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines/SandH

for more information, or your state 

health department.

CS249275-I August 2015

Be ready BEFORE the emergency

Equipment failures, power outages, natural disasters—these and other emergency situations can 

compromise vaccine storage conditions and damage your vaccine supply. It’s critical to have 

an up-to-date emergency plan with steps you should take to protect your vaccine. In any 

emergency event, activate your emergency plan immediately, and if you can do so safely, follow the 

emergency packing procedures for refrigerated vaccines.

1 Gather the Supplies

Hard-sided coolers or StyrofoamTM vaccine shipping containers

•	 Coolers should be large enough for your location’s typical supply of 

refrigerated vaccines.

•	 Can use original shipping boxes from manufacturers if available.

•	 Do NOT use soft-sided collapsible coolers.

Conditioned frozen water bottles

•	 Use 16.9 oz. bottles for medium/large coolers or 8 oz. bottles for small 

coolers (enough for 2 layers inside cooler). 

•	 Do NOT reuse coolant packs from original vaccine shipping container, as 

they increase risk of freezing vaccines.

•	 Freeze water bottles (can help regulate the temperature in your freezer).

•	 Before use, you must condition the frozen water bottles. Put them in a 

sink filled with several inches of cool or lukewarm water until you see a 

layer of water forming near the surface of bottle. The bottle is properly 

conditioned if ice block inside spins freely when rotated in your hand.

Insulating material — You will need two of each layer

•	 Insulating cushioning material – Bubble wrap, packing foam, or 

StyrofoamTM for a layer above and below the vaccines, at least 1 in thick. 

Make sure it covers the cardboard completely. Do NOT use packing 

peanuts or other loose material that might shift during transport.

•	 Corrugated cardboard – Two pieces cut to fit interior dimensions 

of cooler(s) to be placed between insulating cushioning material and 

conditioned frozen water bottles. 

cardboard

Temperature monitoring device – Digital data logger (DDL) with buffered 

probe. Accuracy of +/-1°F (+/-0.5°C) with a current and valid certificate of 

calibration testing. Pre-chill buffered probe for at least 5 hours in refrigerator. 

Temperature monitoring device currently stored in refrigerator can be used, as 

long as there is a device to measure temperatures for any remaining vaccines.

Why do you need cardboard, bubble wrap, and conditioned frozen water bottles?

Conditioned frozen water bottles and corrugated cardboard used along with one inch of insulating 

material such as bubble wrap keeps refrigerated vaccines at the right temperature and prevents them 

from freezing. Reusing vaccine coolant packs from original vaccine shipping containers can 

freeze and damage refrigerated vaccines.
2 Pack for Transport

Packing Vaccines for Transport during Emergencies

Conditioning frozen water bottles •	 Put frozen water bottles in sink filled with several inches of cool or lukewarm water or under running 

tap water until you see a layer of water forming near surface of bottle.

•	 The bottle is properly conditioned if ice block inside spins freely when rotated in your hand.

•	 If ice “sticks,” put bottle back in water for another minute.

•	 Dry each bottle.

•	 Line the bottom and top of cooler with a single layer of conditioned water bottles.

•	 Do NOT reuse coolant packs from original vaccine shipping container.

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Pictures of the different layers in cooler

Close lid – Close the lid and attach DDL display and temperature 

log to the top of the lid.

Conditioned frozen water bottles – Fill the remaining space in the 

cooler with an additional layer of conditioned frozen water bottles.

Insulating material – Another sheet of cardboard may be needed 

to support top layer of water bottles.

Insulating material – Cover vaccines with another 1 in. layer of 

bubble wrap, packing foam, or StyrofoamTM

Vaccines – Add remaining vaccines and diluents to cooler, 

covering DDL probe.

Temperature monitoring device – When cooler is halfway full, 

place DDL buffered probe in center of vaccines, but keep DDL 

display outside cooler until finished loading.

Vaccines – Stack boxes of vaccines and diluents on top of 

insulating material.

Insulating material – Place a layer of bubble wrap, packing foam, 

or StyrofoamTM on top (layer must be at least 1 in. thick and must 

cover cardboard completely).

Insulating material – Place 1 sheet of corrugated cardboard over 

water bottles to cover them completely.

Conditioned frozen water bottles – Line bottom of the cooler 

with a single layer of conditioned water bottles.

8. Temperature Monitoring Device 

Display (on lid)

7. Conditioned Water Bottles

6. Cardboard Sheet

5. Bubble wrap, packing foam, or 

StyrofoamTM

3. Bubble wrap, packing foam, or 

StyrofoamTM

4. Vaccines, Diluents, and Tempera- ture Monitoring Device Probe

2. Cardboard Sheet

1. Conditioned Water Bottles

NOTE:

This packout 

can maintain 

appropriate 

temperatures for up 

to 8 hours, but the 

container should not 

be opened or closed 

repeatedly.

3 Arrive at Destination

Before opening cooler – Record date, time, temperature, and your initials on vaccine temperature log.

Storage – Transfer boxes of vaccines quickly to storage refrigerator.

Troubleshooting – If there has been a temperature excursion, contact vaccine manufacturer(s) and/or your 

immunization program before using vaccines. Label vaccines “Do Not Use” and store at appropriate temperatures 

until a determination can be made.