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The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

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Vaccine Storage and Handling

Contact the Immunization Section

Temperature Monitoring

Improperly stored vaccines result in wasted vaccine, and in some cases, suspension of providers from the VFC Program. When VFC Program providers do not maintain the recommended refrigerator/freezer temperatures, vaccines may lose their potency and result in children being inadequately immunized and required to get additional vaccinations.

Vaccine Storage Equipment

Providers must have appropriate vaccine storage equipment that can maintain proper temperature conditions:

  • Alarm-equipped, stand alone refrigerator and freezer.
  • Refrigerator unit must maintain temperatures between 36° to 46°F (2° and 8°C) year-round.
  • Freezer unit should maintain temperatures between -58°F and 5°F (-50°C and -15°C).
  • Pharmaceutical-Grade combination units are acceptable for vaccine storage (household combination units are unacceptable for vaccine storage).
  • Both the refrigerator and freezer units must be large enough to hold the year’s largest supply of vaccine, without storing vaccine in the door.
  • Providers must have Certificate(s) of Calibration (or Report(s) of Calibration) (Certificates) for all thermometers that are used to monitor temperatures where VFC Program vaccine is stored. These Certificates must be available upon request by the Florida VFC Program. The Certificates must include all the information as listed in either Section A or Section B of the Checklist for Certificate of Calibration Reports. Florida VFC Providers Certificates must match the examples of approved certificates. If your Certificates are missing any required information, contact the thermometer's manufacturer.
  • Refrigerators and freezers must be dedicated to the storage of vaccines. Food and beverages must not be stored in a vaccine refrigerator or freezer.
NOTE: The Florida VFC Program does not approve of dormitory-style refrigerators for VFC Program vaccine storage. A dormitory-style refrigerator is defined as a small combination refrigerator/freezer unit that is outfitted with one external door, an evaporator plate (cooling coil), which is usually located inside an icemaker compartment (freezer) within the refrigerator, and is void of a temperature alarm device. Its temperature control sensor reacts to the temperature of the evaporator, rather than the general air in the storage compartment. When the compressor is on, the evaporator cools to lower the temperature in the refrigerator, in most cases to below 0°C.

Temperature Monitoring

Temperature monitoring should be the responsibility of the primary and back-up vaccine coordinators. If other staff must monitor temperatures, train them on how to respond to and document actions taken when temperatures are outside the appropriate range.

  • Post a Fahrenheit or Celsius Temperature Log for Vaccines on the storage unit door or in a readily accessible place.
  • Keep, on-hand, at least one working and up-to-date back up digital data logger.
  • Ensure that refrigerator temperatures are between 36° to 46°F (2° and 8°C).
  • Keep the freezer temperature at 5°F or lower (-15°C or colder).
  • Monitoring and recording temperature twice a day is required, even if a continuous graphing/recording thermometer or a digital data logger is used.
  • Correct improper vaccine storage conditions immediately, including inappropriate exposure to light and storage temperatures outside the recommended ranges.
  • Maintain and store the completed Temperature Log for Vaccines for 3 years. The Immunization Section field staff will review this form when they conduct on-site visits.
  • Monitor vaccine storage temperatures by using a digital data logger (DDL) in the refrigerator and freezer units. Follow the manufacturer’s recommended schedule for recalibration of the certified digital data loggers.

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Because of the critical importance of administering safe and effective vaccines, we cannot guarantee continued participation in the Florida VFC Program for providers who do not adhere to these requirements. If it is determined the vaccine is stored improperly and is not usable during an onsite review, providers will be instructed to return it to McKesson Specialty, the centralized national vaccine distributor, immediately. Vaccine shipments will be suspended until the provider meets the proper requirements. Be sure to:

  1. Familiarize the appropriate staff with vaccine storage and handling requirements.
  2. Post the temperature log on the storage unit door or a readily accessible place.
  3. Record refrigerator and freezer temperatures twice daily, as indicated on the log.
  4. Adjust the thermostat if temperature is recorded outside the recommended range and contact the vaccine manufacturer for further instructions.

*Note: This page contains materials in the Portable Document Format (PDF). The free Acrobat Reader may be required to view these files.