Vaccine storage is more important than ever these days with the Covid-19 virus and multiple vaccines being created. Temperature has everything to do with the success of these vaccines and their distribution.
Vaccine Temperature Monitoring and Storage
The Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored at -70℃ or even colder until just before it is prepared for use. It must remain frozen from the time it is manufactured and shipped to the dispensing location where injections are given.
After creation at Pfizer the vaccines are transferred from the -80℃ storage freezers in the factory to shipping containers packed with dry ice and insulation to keep the vaccines frozen during shipment. The dry ice inside the shipping containers typically last about five or six days, which more than enough time for the vaccine to safely travel to the location where the injections are actually given to patients. The shipping containers have temperature sensors that ensure the vaccines are kept below -70°C during their transit. The vaccines are taken out of these containers and placed into ultra-cold freezers that are -80°C or less.
It is essential to have have a remote temperature monitoring system anywhere these vaccines are stored. This is needed to confirm the vaccines are continuously kept below -70°C until they are ready to be administered to patients or shipped elsewhere.
Most hospitals and medical facilities have ultra-cold freezers, but recent issues with vaccine temperature storage tell the story of undetected freezer failures attributed to various causes. These freezer issues will be easily detected with a remote temperature monitoring system in place. The system should notify key personnel immediately and repeatedly if there is a temperature issue.
