page_title: Vaccine refrigerator
section_title: Requirements for vaccine refrigeration
hierarchical_section_title: Vaccine refrigerator / Requirements for vaccine refrigeration
caption_attribution_description: English: Data logger cable being shown running through the door gasket, causing a gap which allows air to enter and escape.
context_page_description: Vaccine refrigerators are designed to store vaccines and other medical products at a stable temperature to ensure they do not degrade. In developing countries with a sunny climate, solar-powered vaccine refrigerators are common.
context_section_description: Many vaccines must be stored at low temperatures, some below -15°C, and others between 2 and 8°C. If vaccines are not stored correctly they can lose their effectiveness.
  The ideal temperature for storing vaccines in the ILR is +2 degrees to + 8 degrees
  According to the Center for Disease Control, failure to adhere to recommended specifications for storage and handling of immunobiologics can reduce or destroy their potency, resulting in inadequate or no immune response in the
  recipient. Maintenance of vaccine quality is the shared responsibility of all handlers of vaccines from the time a vaccine is manufactured until administration.
  According to the Immunization Action Coalition, all vaccines should be stored in a refrigerator or freezer that is designed specifically for the storage of biologics or, alternatively, in a separate dedicated unit. A dorm-style combination refrigerator-freezer unit with just one exterior door has been shown to be unacceptable no matter where the vaccine was placed inside the unit. Stand-alone refrigerator or freezer units are best for storage needs. With retail pharmacies now playing a major role in pneumonia, influenza and shingles immunization programs, the value of critical vaccines being stored in pharmacy refrigerators has reached a new high. In fact, it is not uncommon for many pharmacies to now have over $100,000 of product in a single refrigerator during peak seasons.
  It is estimated that $20 million is wasted annually from poor refrigeration, and up to 35% of vaccines are affected by improper storage. Accurate and uniform temperature in a refrigerator plays a key role in ensuring the life of vaccines, reagents and other biologicals. Research has shown that minor variances in temperature such as those in a household refrigerator can compromise the effectiveness of your biologicals, risking up to thousands of dollars in valuable contents. 
  Within these refrigerators and freezers, vaccines are also compromised through improper use of the door gasket to feed cables from data loggers and thermometers, allowing excess warm air in, and cold air out of the refrigerator or freezer. Over time this causes the compressor to work harder and eventually leads to failure. This can be remedied by using probe access ports, found on most clinical refrigerators and freezer. These are easy to open up and drastically reduce air intake and loss from inside the units.
caption: Data logging cable shown running through the door gasket, creating a gap which air can enter and escape through.
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