Monday, 27 June 2011
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WHO recommends that "Every refrigerator storing vaccines should have a freeze indicator" [Immunization in Practice, Module 3: The cold chain, 2004 update]. This is because the risk of freezing may be a more important danger to vaccines than heat, especially with Vaccine Vial Monitors (VVMs) that indicate excessive heat exposure. However, the use of freeze indicators remains limited. Yet, new technology has been available since 2005 that not only shows freeze exposures but also provides a rolling 30-day temperature record: The Fridge-Tag™ (FT). In May 2011, another 30-day temperature recorder that displays heat and freeze alarms was prequalified: the LogTag (see http://www.who.int/immunization_standards/vaccine_quality/pqs_prequalified_devices_e06/en/index.html for details of both devices. The CCL Taskforce is reviewing country experience in the use and implementation of the FTs, and is planning to survey the 32 countries that have procured these through UNICEF since 2006. The very limited numbers ordered by most countries, and the fact that only five countries have re-ordered after two years (the life of the FT), suggests that practically no country is making full use of these unique instruments for assuring fridge performance adequate to maintain vaccine potency. We are therefore seeking opinions as to why this is the case. And whether these devices should now be the minimum standard for temperature monitoring, especially for countries that have introduced the relatively expensive new vaccines that are all freeze sensitive. Please send your opinions to[[email protected]] Kate Bai[/email], [[email protected]]Osman Mansoor[/email], and [[email protected]]Gregory Kiluva[/email].
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