A lot of people would agree that Edward Jenner has contributed hugely by creating the first-ever vaccine for humankind. I regard the developers of vaccines as people who have been indebted to mankind for the rest of eternity. We cannot forget the black death, which wiped out millions of people in the 15th century. How can we forget the way smallpox, cholera, and chickenpox took away precious lives and loved ones, leaving us humans helpless and miserable?
But millions of thanks to the developers of vaccines who introduced the idea of immunity and saved so many life stories from turning into tragedies. Now, we see that we have vaccines for most of the deadliest viruses and bacteria, and it is due to these vaccines that our children can see beyond the 5th birthdays of their lives. They turn into great adults, making sure that the world is still a great and safe place to live in.
Vaccine storage and maintenance
Vaccines, however, need a lot of care to maintain their efficacy. Almost all vaccines require a low temperature for maintenance. An ultra-freezer is usually advised for the storage of vaccines, and when the vaccines are to be transported, it is important to maintain a cold chain. The CDC has issued guidelines for the storage and maintenance of cold chains for every vaccine.
We can refer to the CDC website for a specific vaccine, which clearly states that it is important to keep track of the vaccine temperature. This makes it easy to assess if the vaccines are still in their original state or not.
Sometimes, if we do not properly maintain a chart in the form of a vaccine storage temperature checker, we fail to maintain the quality of the vaccine. If we maintain a chart or checker, this helps us keep track as well as stay on track.
What to note down in vaccine storage temperature checker
As the name indicates, we are going to see what temperature the vaccine is being stored in. But before that, we need to have information about the normal temperatures for each vaccine. The required temperature ranges are always different for refrigerators and freezers. A generally accepted range is 2 to 8 degrees Celsius for the refrigerator and -50 to -15 for the freezer.
We need to keep in mind the temperature required for each vaccine. A temperature log is making sure that all the vaccines are being stored at their optimum and recommended temperature.
We can appreciate 2 or 3 portions of the vaccine temperature tracker. One portion will have temperature ranges that are normal and safe for the vaccine. Above that portion, there will be a temperature range that is dangerous for the vaccine.
The warning or dangerous portion of the vaccine temperature tracker has two additional portions for warm and cold temperatures. Generally, these 2 portions are either highlighted or color-coded and written in bold letters to make it visible for anyone to see which vaccine has entered the dangerous temperature zone.
We can simply mark and dispose of the wasted vaccines in the danger zone on the vaccine temperature tracker.
Written by Dr. Fatima (MBBS, FCPS).
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