Vaccine Fridges Tested

AGPN has commissioned the testing of a range of vaccine purposed built refridgerators by Test Research, the thermal testing organisation of the Austalian Consumer Association or CHOICE.

Testing of Vaccine Purpose Built Fridges

In 2004 the National Vaccine Storage Workshop was held to develop a strategy to improve vaccine management in Australia and cut down on cold chain breaches. Vaccines are very sensitive biological substances and are inactivated by freezing in particular and by long periods of overheating. The workshop determined (evidence based) that the ideal storage was in the range of 2 to 8 degree C and requested that the Commonwealth publish and promote this. The resulting publication, Strive for 5 was sent to each practice and made freely available from mid 2006. The Commonwealth, the jurisdictions and the general practice network have worked together to improve cold chain for immunisation.

Strive for 5 promotes the use of vaccine purpose built fridges or appropriately stacked and prepared non cyclic domestic fridges. The strategy discourages the use of bar fridges as they are unreliable at maintaining consistent temperatures over a 24 hour period.

The general practice network has encouraged the purchase of vaccine fridges and worked with practices to improve vaccine management across the board. This involves monitoring or logging fridges daily and making sure that vaccines are appropriately stored within the fridge as well.

In early 2008 AGPN approached the Test Research Organisation which is part of the Australian Consumer Association responsible for the testing carried out and published by CHOICE. The Test Research thermal laboratory team, headed by Geoff Day, agreed to run a series of tests for AGPN to determine the efficiency of various fridges.

AGPN is grateful to the following for providing funding for this research;

  • The Sunshine Coast Population Health Unit,

and the 4 main vaccine companies involved with the National Immunisation Program

  • CSL,
  • GSK,
  • Wyeth, and
  • Sanofi Pasteur.

AGPN tabled a draft report at the NIC meeting late last year and since then an NIC subcommittee has been formed to work with Standards Australia to develop appropriate standards for these fridges. AGPN is a member of this subcommittee.

The important points raised by this testing are as follows:

  1. All fridges need to be monitored and the temperatures read twice daily to ensure good vaccine management.
  2. The vaccine fridges tested were stable at the lower temperatures and hence dealt with the most important issue of freezing of vaccines. Frozen vaccines have been most problematic for providers and the most costly for government - frozen vaccine is not viable and needs to be discarded.
  3. All tested fridges were reasonably stable at normal ambient operating temperatures (around 25 degrees C) and maintained 2 to 8 degrees. One brand did not operate well at higher temperatures (testing to 43 degrees) and would therefore not be efficient in hotter areas of Australia without constant air conditioning.
  4. All vaccine fridges lacked reasonable thermal mass and did not maintain their temperature below 8 degrees for more than 30 minutes when the power was cut. They would need vaccines moved to prepared cold boxes or packed with cold bricks. This issue needs to be dealt with by a regulated standard.

For the full report - Vaccine Fridge Testing Report

Remember, if you have questions about vaccine management or a cold chain breach, contact your public health unit and your division.

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