Why Do Vaccines Need to Be Refrigerated at A Super Low Temperature?
To ensure that vaccines remain safe when used, they must always be kept at the appropriate temperature in a dedicated cold room. Vaccines are made to affect the immune system, but their immunogenicity is harmed when they are too hot or cold, making them lose their effectiveness.
Most of the time, if they are not kept at the right temperature, they deteriorate and become dangerous to use.
Vaccines must be stored at the proper temperature from when they are manufactured until the time they are used. This is why getting vaccines to people in certain parts of the world can be difficult, especially in developing countries. With a cold room installation in your facility, vaccines are sure to maintain their efficacy.
Domestic refrigerators cannot maintain this temperature control internally because the temperature is uneven from top to bottom, necessitating the use of specialized medical refrigerators. Most vaccines must be stored at temperatures between 2°C and 8°C. The COVID-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer requires storage temperature between -80°C and -60°C.
Main Features Medical Refrigerators
Medical refrigerators have a range of advantages over conventional refrigerators when it comes to storing vaccines. The key reason for using a dedicated medical fridge is to maintain precise temperature regulation.
Vaccines in a medical fridge are maintained in the proper temperature range when properly stored. Many cold room installations will have specific temperature control settings and regulate both the vaccines’ temperature and the surrounding atmosphere’s temperature.
Medical refrigerators also have the following features:
- Alarm systems notify users if the door is left open or if the temperature is too high or too low.
- Locks to protect expensive vaccines from being stolen
- They are also eco-friendly, allowing businesses to use fewer resources and save money.
What Vaccines Must Be Kept in the Refrigerator?
Here are some of the vaccines that must be kept refrigerated:
- Influenza virus (flu)
- Rota Teq and Rotarix (Rotavirus)
- Hepatitis A and B
- IPV (polio)
- Gardasil9 (any HPV vaccine)
- Meningococcal vaccines (Menactra, Menveo, Bexsera, and Trunembra)
- Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccines
- Pneumococcal vaccines (Prevnar 13 and Pneumovax)
- Covid-19 vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer)
When Vaccines Aren't Refrigerated, What Happens?
When vaccines are not properly stored, they lose their effectiveness. When they are stored outside of the recommended temperature range, their potency is affected. When a vaccine’s efficacy is lost, it’s gone for good, and the vaccine is practically spoiled and useless.
If the vaccine is ineffective, it can result in various problems, including the patient not being adequately protected from the disease for which the vaccine is being given.
Vaccines are temperature-sensitive, especially live vaccines like measles, which are adversely affected by high temperatures. If it gets too cold, diluent (the solvent used in some vaccines) can also freeze. Certain vaccinations, such as those for pneumococcal disease and tetanus, can be destroyed as a result.
As you would expect, destroyed vaccines cost money, and replacing vaccines is also costly. Vaccines must also be maintained at the proper temperature from when they are produced until they are administered to the patients.
Final Thoughts
If your practice requires vaccines’ storage, make sure they are stored in a dedicated medical refrigerator. Using something else is just too risky; if the vaccines need to be replaced, it will cost your practice a significant sum of money. When it comes to sensitive substances like vaccines, there is no room for mistakes.
Therefore, to keep your vaccines safe and stable, look for a medical fridge with reliable temperature control and other useful features mentioned above. With the help and experience of a cold room installation specialist, the installation process is expected to meet the recommended standard.