Cold chain management and vaccines

Pharmacists play a vital role in the distribution, dispensing and
administration of life saving vaccines. A vaccine is a fragile, biological product that may contain live attenuated, modified, toxoid or killed microorganisms, which when administered into the body (vaccination), provides immunity to a disease. For a vaccine to be effective, it needs to be stored between +2 and +8 degrees Celsius (°C) from the time of manufacture to the point of administration. The system of transporting and storing vaccines within this temperature range is known as the ‘vaccine cold chain’. Ensuring vaccines and temperature sensitive medicines are not exposed to temperatures outside this range is known as ‘cold chain management’. When a vaccine is exposed to a temperature outside 2–8 °C it is known as a ‘temperature excursion’ or a ‘cold chain breach’. All individuals who handle vaccines are responsible for cold chain responsibility for the pharmacist or nominated person.