Posts Tagged ‘vaccine storage’
How to Safely Store Vaccines for the Flu Season
With the 2019-2020 flu season upon us it’s time for healthcare facilities to take a close look at their refrigeration equipment for vaccine storage and temperature monitoring. The CDC has published detailed recommendations on how to safely store vaccines in their Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit available online. This post summarizes their recommendations on how to safely store vaccines for the 2019-2020 flu season.
- A look at last year’s flu season
- How to select refrigerators to safely store vaccine
- Recommendations for establishing your vaccine inventory
- Other tips to safely store vaccines
A Summary of the 2018-2019 Flu Season
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that as many as 42.9 million cases of influenza were reported from Oct. 1, 2018 to May 4, 2019 resulting in 20.1 million medical visits and 647,000 hospitalizations. At this posting no estimates have been made for the 2019-2020 … Read the rest
How to Improve Vaccine Storage Temperature Monitoring
Vaccine storage temperature monitoring and reporting are critical requirements for healthcare facilities participating in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. Procedures are clearly spelled out in the CDC’s Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit.
To comply with these procedures vaccine refrigerators and freezers must be equipped with temperature alarming and recording devices. A temperature logger kit now available from Tovatech can be installed on vaccine storage units that otherwise meet CDC regulations but lack temperature logging and alarming capability.
NIST-Certified Temperature Logger
Supplied with a 5 volt DC power adapter, the compact .75” x 9.25” x 5.5” (HWD) NIST-calibrated DL2 temperature logger kit stores data on a 4GB USB flash drive for retrieval and archiving to a PC or Mac. It is equipped with a backup rechargeable lithium-ion battery that operates the logger for up to 20 hours in the event of a power failure.… Read the rest
Compact Vaccine Refrigerators Meet Tight State Regs
Tighter state regulations governing vaccine storage may impose stricter standards than those recommended by the CDC for temperature control and uniformity. Small to medium sized practices may want to check their state regulations for vaccine storage, especially if they participate in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program.
In response to these new regulations Tovatech offers a new compact vaccine refrigerator line designed for small to medium-size medical practices while retaining external dimensions consistent with popular undercounter and countertop models. This is achieved with thicker wall insulation. Units are available in capacities ranging from 0.8 to 3.4 cubic feet (see table).
Vaccine Refrigerator Performance Specs
All models feature digital thermostats and are temperature stable within 2⁰ of set temperatures. All are equipped with high/low temperature alarms and NIST-calibrated internal temperature readouts to the nearest tenth of a degree.
In accordance with CDC recommendations these vaccine refrigerators feature self-closing shelf-less doors to … Read the rest
Glass Front Tabletop Lab Refrigerator with Temperature Alarms
Opening a lab refrigerator to check inventory or retrieve vaccines and biologicals causes an unwelcome interior temperature spike that over time can result in vaccines losing potency. These spikes are more pronounced in a tabletop lab refrigerator typically used in local healthcare clinics and doctors’ offices. A great solution is a glass front tabletop lab refrigerator with audible and visual high-low temperature alarms. Healthcare providers check contents at a glance with the door shut. A switch-activated interior light makes inventory taking easier.
Now available from Tovatech the 2.4 cubic foot capacity Norlake LR031WWG/0 compact table top glass door lab refrigerator features a digital LED display microprocessor temperature control. This allows healthcare personnel to set internal temperatures from +2⁰ to 10⁰C, and it continuously displays content temperature.
The unit is equipped with an internal fan to stabilize cooling and the cabinet is foamed-in-place with … Read the rest
