Vaccine Storage Solutions

• No exposure to freezing temperatures
• Store at temperatures between 2°C and 8°C (36°F and 46°F)
• Keep thermostat set at mid-range to achieve a temperature of about 5°C (40°F), which will decrease the likelihood of temperature excursions

Vaccines to store in a freezer:

HZV, MMRV, MMR, SARS-CoV-2, Varicella

• Store in the freezer maintaining temperatures between –50°C and –15°C (–58°F and +5°F) 
• Keep the thermostat at the factory-set or mid-point temperature setting to assure appropriate frozen storage temperature
  

Despite what some people think, not all refrigerators are created equal. Many healthcare institutions still rely on residential-style, or white-box, refrigeration units to keep their sensitive biomedical samples safe. These units simply were not designed to maintain the rigid temperature control necessary for vaccines and other medical samples.  If you’ve ever pulled a frozen beverage from the back of your refrigerator, you’ve experienced the problem. Many facilities using these types of units struggle with cabinet temperature uniformity, which can result in some vaccines growing warmer or colder than others. Temperature stability can also become an issue, as these units were not designed for immediate temperature recovery after every door opening. By the end of a busy lab day, the internal temperature of a white box unit could be dangerously high from room-temperature air entering the cabinet, putting vaccines at risk.

It’s for these reasons that many residential and commercial-grade refrigerators state clearly that they are not intended for lab use. Just as a residential coffee maker could void office insurance policies in the event of a fire, the use of a white box unit in the lab could become a liability for lab facilities. Purpose-built cold storage units, such as the Thermo Scientific™ TSX series of lab refrigerators, are designed to help protect precious and highly sensitive biological materials such as vaccines. Unlike the standard compressor that powers a residential unit, the TSX series uses variable speed, or V-drive, technology engineered to provide temperature uniformity throughout the cabinet, while continuously adapting to user patterns and door openings to keep temperatures within a vaccine-safe range at all times. This reliability was key to Thermo Scientific cold storage products receiving Underwriter Laboratories (UL) certification for use in the lab. Since 2010, Thermo Fisher has partnered with UL Environment®, a third-party certification source that provides clarity for the validation of claims and certification of industry standards, to ensure our customers are as protected as possible should an issue arise. UL listings demonstrate that products are fit for lab use, providing another layer of protection and validation should insurance coverage come into question.

We’re proud to say that this is true for Thermo Scientific lab-grade refrigerators. We’ve invested heavily in technology specifically designed to deliver precision temperature control and consistency across the cabinet, so vaccines can be stored safely anywhere within our units. However, this is not the case for residential units. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has had to issue specialized guidelines to combat the unstable temperatures characteristic of white-box units. These include storing vaccines away from a refrigerator’s walls or door where temperature fluctuations are most extreme and using water bottles around the perimeter to stabilize the unit’s temperature. If these rules are not followed, vaccines could be subjected to temperatures outside of their mandated range, calling their integrity into question. 

To maintain a highly specific level of cooling, lab refrigerators must be kept running 24/7. The unfavorable side effect of this necessity is that it generates distracting noise and uncomfortable heat. These circumstances have driven lab refrigerators out of the main workspace or forced facilities to turn toward a residential unit, which does not suffer the same inconveniences. However, it’s worth asking: at what cost? Residential units don’t output the same noise or heat levels because they don’t operate with the same precision or reliability. This used to leave many lab professionals at an impasse, but fortunately that’s no longer the case.

Lab-grade refrigerators such as the TSX series have witnessed a dramatic improvement in compressor technology in recent years. These advances have enabled the production of more efficient units that output less heat and also facilitate whisper-quiet operation. With a sound level of 52 A-weighted decibels (dBA), our customers can work alongside a TSX series lab refrigerator without distraction. This has made it possible to return lab-grade refrigerators to the main workspace, so end users can easily access samples without sacrificing on protection.

While the upfront costs of a white-box unit may be cheaper than a purpose-built refrigerator, it’s important to fully consider the risks and long-term costs of the decision. The questionable reliability of a white-box unit could put thousands of dollars – if not more – of samples at risk. It could also leave remote communities at risk of a vaccine shortage. An outage of just one unit filled with vaccines could pay for a purpose-built unit ten times over. Moreover, because of the strict rules around where vaccines can be stored within a residential unit, the cabinet space cannot be fully utilized. This often forces facilities to purchase several residential units when the same volume of product could have been easily stored inside one purpose-built unit.

This is arguably the most dangerous myth of all. Temperature control is essential to a sample’s integrity and, as such, samples are only as reliable as the units in which they are stored. Many vaccines are only effective if they remain within the extremely limited temperature range of 2°C to 8°C. Outside of this range, there is no way to guarantee the vaccine will be effective. Unlike a residential-grade unit, purpose-built refrigerators deliver the reliability and performance necessary for highly sensitive and complex medical materials, like vaccines – because they were designed for it. Medical workers can operate with confidence, knowing their products are protected.

Alternative plugs and cords are available to meet your special needs. Learn more ›