Vaccine Storage Safety Checklist

The safe handling and storage of vaccine is vital for the safety of the population being treated by the vaccine. In some cases an effective vaccine is a matter of life or death. While most of the precautions are common sense, creating a checklist helps organize the actions in the most efficient and effective manner.

Vaccine Storage Checklist

• The Immunization Action Coalition has developed a checklist of safety precautions for the safe handling of vaccines. The checklist can serve as a base document to be modified to fit the specific needs of many medical, and even veterinarian, facilities.
  It includes a requirement of having one person, and a backup, responsible for all issues with the storage and handling of vaccines.
  A high quality home use or commercial grade refrigerator and freezer should be used. Only vaccines, no food, should be stored in the freezer and refrigerator. The vaccines should be stored in the main body of the appliance, not on shelves in the door, which are subject to greater temperature swings when the door is opened.
  A thermometer should be kept in both the refrigerator and freezer and should be monitored to make sure the ideal temperatures are maintained. A log of these temperatures should be maintained. A tag should be affixed to the electrical cords of the refrigerator and freezer stating, "Do Not Unplug."
  Vaccines should be organized with the nearest expiration dates to the front. Vaccines that are not used by the expiration date should be disposed of.
  Many state health departments have issued similar checklists for vaccine storage safety. Medical professionals can use any of these or generate their own checklist. The purpose of all these checklists is the same. They identify who is responsible for the vaccine, they identify ways to make sure the refrigerator and freezer are functioning correctly and they maintain a proper record of the vaccine as it is received and dispensed.
  These checklists could also be used to verify the vaccine was handled in accordance with industry safety standards if a problem arose.