When the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines were released in the UK in 2021, healthcare providers faced a logistical headache: how to safely store vast numbers of vaccines when many had restricted amounts of cold storage space.

It’s estimated that up to 50% of vaccines are wasted every year.

All vaccines must be kept at below ambient temperatures, not just prior to use, but throughout the supply chain. What role do data loggers have in ensuring that vaccine temperature monitoring is diligently executed?

The Importance Of Vaccine Cold Storage

A vaccine that has been kept in excessively warm or cold temperatures may lose its potency, making it ineffective in the fight against disease. Therefore, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that vaccines should be stored between +2°C and +8°C at every stage of the cold chain until administration.

Faulty refrigeration equipment, incorrect temperature settings, and human error can contribute to vaccines being incorrectly stored, so a robust system of temperature monitoring is vital to ensure that stock is stored in line with the manufacturers’ recommendations.

How A Vaccine Data Logger Can Safeguard Against Degradation Of Stock

The WHO also recommends that the temperature of refrigerators should be continually monitored to identify any fluctuations that could render the vaccines useless. Traditional methods, such as a staff member visually checking a fridge thermometer and recording the reading on a paper chart, are susceptible to errors: the temperature may be misread or incorrectly plotted on the recording chart, or the staff member may forget to carry out their duty.

A vaccine data logger provides an unambiguous, fool-proof way to monitor vaccine temperatures at every stage of the supply chain:

• Rather than checking at intervals, a data logger continuously monitors the temperature of the cold storage, so that any variations are detected instantly.
• If a temperature fluctuation is detected, an alarm is sounded, and an email alert sent to relevant staff so that prompt action may be taken to protect stock.
• Data is automatically collected and retained, so staff don’t have to remember to check the temperature manually.
• Data are inviolate
• A more precise temperature reading is obtained, usually within 0.2°C.
• Temperature data is recorded in an easy-to-read graph, with no chance of errors.
• As the data logger is powered by battery, any loss of mains electricity will not interfere with its operation.

Contact Signatrol To Find Out More

Temperature data loggers are the most reliable and cost-effective way to protect valuable vaccines from deterioration/

To find out more about our extensive compact and easy-to-use data loggers for your vaccines cold storage, please download ‘A Buyer’s Guide to Data Loggers’, or call us on 01684 299399.